One Recipe a Week 2010 - 1 - Coq au Vin

[erindubitably]

This is the first installment of my 'one new recipe a week' project that I'm hoping to undertake throughout 2010. I'd like to expand my cooking/baking repertoire as well as improve my food photography and this seems like a good way to do both as well as get some (hopefully) tasty meals out of the deal! Every week I will be posting up a recipe with pictures of the cooking process, as well as a quick review of the outcome. Feel free to follow along or skip if you're not interested in delicious foods (although really, c'mon now!).

Week One: Coq au Vin

Recipe taken from The Pioneer Woman Cooks blog

Ingredients

* 1 whole Fryer Chicken
* 4 slices Bacon, Cut Into Small Pieces
* ½ whole Medium Onion, Diced
* ½ cups Carrots, Washed, Peeled, And Roughly Chopped
* 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
* 2 Tablespoons Butter
* 1 pound White Mushrooms, Sliced
* 2 cups Burgundy Wine
* 1 pound Pasta (egg Noodles Or Fettucini)
* 2 Tablespoons Butter
* Parsley, Fresh, Minced
* Salt And Pepper, to taste



Preparation Instructions

Saute bacon pieces in a large skillet over medium low heat until fat is rendered. Remove bacon from the skillet and set aside. Increase heat to medium.



Salt fat site of chicken pieces, then place chicken, fat side down, in skillet and cook in bacon grease until both sides are nice and golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside in a 2-quart baking dish, skin side up.



Saute onions, carrots and garlic in bacon grease until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove from grease with slotted spoon and set aside.



In a separate skillet, saute mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter until golden, about 3 minutes. Set aside.



Layer half of the bacon pieces, carrot/onion mixture, and mushrooms in pan with chicken.



Drain grease from the large skillet, then place over medium heat. Pour in 2 cups Burgundy wine, using a wire whisk to scrape loose all the burned/brown bits. Lightly salt liquid and allow to cook for 3 minutes. Pour over chicken and vegetables. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.



Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and toss with 2 tablespoons butter.



Serve chicken in a pasta bowl with noodles, sprinkling minced parsley over the top. Spoon juice from baking dish over the top of everything.



Sometimes extra measures must be taken by trusty assistants when cutting up onions.



Verdict



Hungry Cat gives this recipe 3.5 Noms: Very tasty! The chicken was extremely tender, the mushrooms and carrots flavorful, and the sauce was a good addition to the noodles. There are leftovers, so we shall see how it fares with a reheat. Only one pan used for all ingredients save the noodles; clean-up relatively easy.

Comments

Dutch Oven

[dexfarkin.livejournal.com]

If you have one, Coq Au Vin is far better when done low and slow in one of those. If you don't, find a way to beg, borrow or steal one. It will quickly become your most used pot during the winter.

Re: Dutch Oven

[erindubitably.livejournal.com]

I've got a slow cooker and love it, never fear. This turned out extremely well in a regular oven; I'm trying to follow the recipes more or less the first time round, though I'll start experimenting with repeats.

[erindubitably.livejournal.com]

Yikes, that does sound pretty dire. Thanks for the warning!

[likeneontubing.livejournal.com]

Ooh I like the look of it! Also the cleanup comments are great!

[erindubitably.livejournal.com]

It was yum! And yes, I'm always concerned about cleanup with new things, so I'll try and note down how much a mess it makes each time!

[meaningrequired.livejournal.com]

Very pretty!

Do the goggles work? :)

[marrog.livejournal.com]

They do, yes. I usually stream from chopping onions to the point where I can't actually see past the tears and last night I was fine.

[momentsmusicaux.livejournal.com]

Love the pictures, food looks great!

Looking forward to future instalments!

[e-halmac.livejournal.com]

Nomnomnomnomnom
Will be stealing that recipe, me thinks ;)