Coq au Vin

Ingredients

• 400g/14oz shallots, peeled and left whole
• 2 carrots, cut into chunky pieces, about 2½cm/1in
• 2 sticks celery, cut into 1cm/½in slices
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g/3½oz smoked, dry-cured thick bacon
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 4 whole chicken legs, cut into thighs and drumsticks
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• few sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 300ml/½pt full-bodied red wine
• 100ml/3½fl oz good quality chicken stock
• 150g/5½oz button or crimini mushrooms, or larger mushrooms cut in half

 

Preparation method

1. Put the shallots, carrots and celery into a slow cooker, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry the lardons in a large frying pan over a low heat for 10 minutes until crisp, golden and the fat has run from the meat. Remove from the pan and tip most of the fat into a heatproof bowl.
2. Meanwhile, put the flour into a food bag or bowl, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then toss the chicken pieces in the flour to coat.
3. Fry the floured chicken in the residual bacon fat until golden-brown, about five minutes each side. Put the chicken on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker and scatter with the lardons, bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
4. Add a little more fat to the pan if needed, then add the garlic and tomato purée. Cook for a minute, then add the wine and bring to the boil for two minutes. Add the stock, return to the boil, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then pour over the meat and vegetables. Cover with the lid then cook on low for six hours, until the chicken is very tender.
5. Just before serving, heat a little fat in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat, until golden-brown. Scatter over the chicken and serve.

First time we made this recipe was: on December 27, 2013 in the new slow cooker!

Happy New Year 2014!

Roast Lamb in Red Wine

Ingredients

• 8 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 4-pound boneless lamb
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups dry red wine
• 3-4 onions wedged to roast

Preparation

Preheat oven to 200°C. Finely chop garlic and rosemary with 1/2 teaspoon salt on a cutting board. Holding knife at an angle, drag blade over mixture until a coarse paste forms. Transfer paste to a small bowl and mix in oil. 

Place pork, fat side down, on another cutting board with a short end toward you. Holding a sharp knife parallel to board and about 1/2" up side of loin, make an incision along entire length of one side. Continue cutting, lifting meat with your free hand as you go, until loin is open and flat. Spread garlic mixture over inside of loin and season with salt and pepper. Roll lamb tightly; using kitchen twine, tie at 1" intervals.

Season lamb with salt and pepper; place, fat side up, in a large shallow baking dish. Add wine; add wedged onions to pot in the wine; roast lamb until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of loin registers 145°, 1 1/2-2 hours.

Transfer to a carving board; let rest at least 10 minutes. Spoon fat from surface of pan juices; discard. Slice lamb; serve with pan juices.

DO AHEAD: Lamb can be stuffed and tied 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before roasting.

First time we tried this recipe was: on December 17, 2013 while financial planning and brainstorming for 2014 revenue plans: A, B, C, D to porn.

Nicholas' Secret of Life: Red Wine Gravy

 

 

Ingredients

• All the juices in the bottom of the Thanksgiving bird baking tray
• 1 tablespoon white flour
• reeeeeeed wiiiiiiiiiiine!
• water
• salt
• pepper

 

Preparation

Decant the juices into a small container and let it settle so that oil and fat rises to top. Spoon off as much of the oil as you can. Pour remainder into a small pot over medium heat. Add generous amounts of wine with a fluid wrist. Add 1 tablespoon white flour and stir with wooden spoon or whisk and stir continuously to eliminate lumps. Let simmer while flour thickens the gravy. Dilute with more wine and/or add more flour until desired consistency achieved. Serve!


First time Nicholas made this for me was on: Saturday, October 12, 2013 celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving after a 2 hour Scrubs and canal walk.