Month: December 2018

“The end of the year is full of excitement. Late Christmas parties, Ugly Sweater shindigs, workplace potlucks, and New Years Eve soirees packed into the last two weeks of the year. It is enough to make even the most outgoing social butterfly want to stay home. If you’re asked to bring a dish to any of your outings and want to bring one that looks like you have trained under Jacques Pepin for years yet is super easy, you are in luck. Coq au Vin, literally translated to Rooster with Wine, is a simple dish of braised chicken legs in a sauce of rich red wine, mushrooms, bacon, and pearl onions. It is decadent, looks like you spent all day in the kitchen, but is deceivingly simple. This dish will easily serve four as an entree but can be easily expanded.” – Joe

 

• 4 each chicken leg quarters
• 1 each bottle red wine
• 1.5 each yellow onion
• 2 each carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 Tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

For the Sauce:

• 2 pounds mixed mushrooms
• 0.5 pound bacon
• 1 12 ounce bag frozen pearl onions
• 0.5 pound whole wheat pasta
• 1 teaspoon organic olive oil

Directions

The day prior to making the dish.

1. Combine the chicken, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and peppercorns with the red wine in a glass bowl or plastic container.

The day of making the dish.

1. Remove the chicken and pat dry. Separate the vegetables and wine, but keep both.
2. In a heavy bottomed pot, add a tablespoon of organic olive oil and sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown. Set aside.
3. Add the vegetables to the pot and cook for five-to-ten minutes.
4. Add the flour and stir to evenly coat.
5. Add the wine and chicken back into the pot and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce to a light simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for about an hour and a half.
7. In a second pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain all but one tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan.
8. Add the mushrooms to the second pan and cook down until tender.
9. Add the pearl onions to the pan.
10. Add the bacon back to the pan.
11. After the hour and a half, or the chicken has cooked, remove from the pot and strain the cooking liquid to the second pan.
12. Cook the pasta according to the instructions.
13. Plate the pasta, scoop the sauce on top, and add the chicken.

“Inspiration for a dish can come at unexpected times. Menu changes and planning at the restaurant are some of the most difficult challenges I face in my profession. I need my books, notebooks, a cup of coffee ,and plenty of time to dream of interesting flavor combinations or of a way to put an imaginative spin on a classic dish. For some, inspiration may come while they are cooking a different dish or simply chopping herbs for the evening service. I am not so lucky. But like I said, the most unexpected times.

This dish came while we were flipping through a food publication. A recipe for Miso Glazed Duck Legs was pictured. The combination of miso (fermented soybean paste) and any bird or fowl is a match made in heaven, but duck is pricey. The next best thing is chicken legs. Leg Quarters are the whole leg: thigh, drumstick, and a part of the hip joint.

I wanted to challenge myself in creating something unique for dinner. Miso and tamari (gluten free soy sauce) go great together, this I know; however between perusing social media and cookbooks I noticed an ingredient called gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste). Having had my eye on a brand at our specialty grocer for a while, I thought what the hell. The blind leap of faith came with great reward. A feisty, but not too spicy, kick was added to the already flavorful chicken. We also made a light ‘salad’ of bok choy and other veggies with cooked soba noodles seasoned with sweet chili sauce, but the dish would also pair well with rice or on top a salad of simple greens.” – Joe 

• 4 chicken leg quarters
• 2 Tablespoon miso paste
• 2 Tablespoon tamari
• 4 Tablespoon gochujang
• 1 Tablespoon organic olive oil
• 1 yellow onion – rough chopped
• 4 clove garlic – rough chopped
• 1 pint water

Directions

1. Place a large skillet over medium high heat and add a tablespoon of organic olive oil.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Sear on both sides, flipping with a pair of tongs, for about four minutes on each side or until it is golden.
3. Once seared, place in a nine by eleven inch casserole dish. Take one tablespoon of gochujang and spread it over the skin on the chicken.
4. Once all the chicken has been seared and had an gochujang applied, add the onion and garlic, and roast lightly.
5. Add the water, miso, and tamari to the large skillet. Bring to a simmer, then pour over the chicken.
6. Cover the nine by eleven inch with aluminum foil and place in a 300 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven. Cook for 25 minutes.
7. Carefully remove the foil and set your oven to broil. Continue to cook the chicken until it is golden brown on top or for about another five-to-ten minutes.
8. Remove from the pan, allow to cook slightly, and serve.