Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Riesling

Cooking at Home

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Riesling

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Riesling 

Coq au Riesling was our second main course for our family French dinner.

Cooking at Home – Our French Bistro Tablescape  Photo by J. Rodgers

Coq au Vin (Riesling)

Ingredients

6 chicken Thighs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil, plus more butter for frying

4 shallots, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons Cognac

1 cup dry Riesling

1/2 cup chicken stock

8 ounces mushrooms, quartered

1/2 cup creme fraiche

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Optional: debone the thighs, place the bone back in the thigh and tie with string. Remove the bone prior to serving.

Heat the fat in a sauté pan and brown the chicken on all sides.

When all the chicken is browned, remove it to a plate.

Add the shallots and garlic to the pan for 1 minute.

Pour in the Cognac to deglaze. (Flambé is optional)

Put the chicken back in the pan.

Pour in the wine and stock, cover and cook until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes, turning once.

Melt a little butter in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms until golden.

When the chicken is cooked, remove it to a serving platter and keep warm.

Boil the cooking liquid down to sauce consistency.

Stir in the creme fraiche, mushrooms and a little butter.

When hot, taste and correct the seasonings.

Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

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Directions in Pictures

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) - prepare the chicken, salt and pepper

• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Optional: debone the thighs, place the bone back in the thigh and tie with string. Remove the bone prior to serving.

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) - brown the meat on all sides

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) - brown the meat on all sides

• Heat the fat in a sauté pan and brown the chicken on all sides. 

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) - remove the chicken

• When all the chicken is browned, remove it to a plate.

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) - add the shallots and garlic

• Add the shallots and garlic to the pan for 1 minute.

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) - pour in the Cognac to deglaze

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) - flambé if you wish - Sorry the flame did not show in the picture...

• Pour in the Cognac to deglaze. (Flambé is optional)

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) -put the chicken back in the pan

• Put the chicken back in the pan.

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) - pour in the wine

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) - pour in the stock

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling)

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) - cook the chicken is tender and turned once

• Pour in the wine and stock, cover and cook until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes, turning once.

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) – cook the mushrooms until golden

• Melt a little butter in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms until golden.

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling)

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) – when the chicken is cooked, remove it to a serving platter and keep warm

• When the chicken is cooked, remove it to a serving platter and keep warm.

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) – boil the cooking liquid down to sauce consistency

• Boil the cooking liquid down to sauce consistency.

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Vin (Riesling) – stir in the creme fraiche, mushrooms and butter

• Stir in the creme fraiche, mushrooms and a little butter. 

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Coq au Riesling 

Bon Appétit

zzzz

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Poached Eggs in Burgundy Wine Sauce on a croûte or Oeufs en Meurette

Cooking at Home

Oeufs pochés dans une sauce au vin de Bourgogne sur une croûte (Poached Eggs in Burgundy Wine Sauce on a croute) or Oeufs en Meurette

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - Poached Eggs in Burgundy Wine Sauce on a croûte (Oeufs en Meurette)

Poached eggs in Burgundy wine sauce on a croûte was our first main course for our multiple course French bistro dinner we cooked for our family. 

Picking the right ingredients is important, as is staging. I think a good egg dish is a good substitute for a first main course fish dish. We substituted a Washington state Pinot noir for the French Burgundy because of the cost and quality. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did.

Bon Appétit

The Recipe - Oeufs en Meurette (Poached Eggs in Burgundy Wine Sauce)

Ingredients

1 bottle dry red wine

2 cups beef stock

4 to 8 eggs

1 bay leaf

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 celery stalk, sliced

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 onion, thinly sliced

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons butter

4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced

4 ounces bacon, sliced into paper clip-size pieces

15 to 20 pearl onions, peeled

Directions

Bring the wine and stock to a slow boil in a sauté pan.

Gently crack the eggs in and poach until the whites are set and the yolks runny, 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove to a plate.

Remove any clumps of egg white and bring the wine-stock mixture back to a boil.

Add the bay leaf, carrots, celery, garlic, onions and thyme.

Simmer until reduced by half and concentrated, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce reduces, melt 1 spoonful of the butter in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms, about 3 minutes.

Remove the mushrooms.

Add the second spoonful of butter and fry the bacon until brown.

Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Fry the onions in the fat left in the pan until tender and golden, about 10 minutes.

Drain off the excess fat and put the bacon and mushrooms back in.

Once the sauce has reduced, knead the butter and flour together to form a paste (Beurre manié*).

Whisk it, a piece at a time, into the simmering sauce until thick enough to coat a spoon.

Strain the sauce over the onions, bacon and mushrooms.

Bring to a boil, and check the seasonings.

Gently place the poached eggs in the sauce to reheat for a minute.

Serve the eggs in wide, shallow bowls on a croûte** with some sauce. Scatter with the parsley.

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Directions in Pictures

Cooking at Home – Poached Eggs in Wine Sauce - bring the wine and stock to a slow boil

• Bring the wine and stock to a slow boil in a sauté pan.

Cooking at Home – Poached Eggs in Wine Sauce - poach until the whites

• Gently crack the eggs in and poach until the whites are set and the yolks runny, 2 to 3 minutes.

• Remove to a plate.

Cooking at Home – Poached Eggs in Wine Sauce - add the bay leaf, carrots, celery, garlic, onions and thyme

• Remove any clumps of egg white and bring the wine-stock mixture back to a boil.

• Add the bay leaf, carrots, celery, garlic, onions and thyme.

• Simmer until reduced by half and concentrated, about 20 minutes.

Cooking at Home – Poached Eggs in Wine Sauce – fry the onions, bacon and mushrooms

• While the sauce reduces, melt 1 spoonful of the butter in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms, about 3 minutes.

• Remove the mushrooms.

• Add the second spoonful of butter and fry the bacon until brown.

• Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

• Fry the onions in the fat left in the pan until tender and golden, about 10 minutes.

• Drain off the excess fat and put the bacon and mushrooms back in.

Cooking at Home – Poached Eggs in Wine Sauce – add the beurre manié

• Once the sauce has reduced, knead the butter and flour together to form a paste (Beurre manié(1)).

• Whisk it, a piece at a time, into the simmering sauce until thick enough to coat a spoon.

Cooking at Home – Poached Eggs in Wine Sauce - strain the sauce over the onions, bacon and mushrooms

• Strain the sauce over the onions, bacon and mushrooms.

Cooking at Home – Poached Eggs in Wine Sauce - bring to a boil, and check the seasonings

• Bring to a boil, and check the seasonings.

Cooking at Home – Poached Eggs in Wine Sauce - Gently place the poached eggs in the sauce to reheat

• Gently place the poached eggs in the sauce to reheat for a minute. 

Cooking at Home – French Cooking – place a croûte in your bowl

Cooking at Home – French Cooking - serve the with a croûte with some sauce - Oeufs en Meurette

• Serve the eggs in wide, shallow bowls on a croûte(2) with some sauce. Scatter with the parsley.

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(1)Cooking at Home – making beurre manié…

What is beurre manié?

Beurre manié (French "kneaded butter") is a dough, consisting of equal parts of soft butter and flour. When the beurre manié is whisked into a hot or warm liquid, the butter melts, releasing the flour particles without creating lumps.

Beurre manie is also used as a finishing step for sauces, imparting a smooth, shiny texture prior to service.

Cooking at Home – beurre manié – equal parts butter and flour

Cooking at Home – beurre manié – equal parts butter and flour

Cooking at Home – beurre manié – knead the butter and flour

Cooking at Home – beurre manié 

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(2)Cooking at Home – Croûte

What is a croûte?

A slice of toasted or fried bread used as a foundation in serving food.

Cooking at Home – croûte – fry bread in butter (lots of butter)

Cooking at Home – croûte 

Bon Appétit

zzz

Cooking at Home – A French Dinner

Cooking at Home – A French Dinner for our Family

Cooking at Home – a French Bistro Tablescape  Photo by J. Rodgers

The inspiration for our French dinner came from the Cooking Channel, Food Network, and our local wine shop Wicked Cellars. Oh yes, let's not forget Julia Child. The Cooking Channel, Food network, and Julia Child also provided the ideas for our menu and Wicked cellars provided the wine.

Wicked Cellars wine shop in Everett, Washington is our go to location for wine. We believe their wine club is the best in the area. Providing both great deals and fantastic wine selections. The wine for our French dinner was mostly made up of wine club selections. The exception would be the Gru Beaujolais, which was part of a wonderful and unique tasting back in March 2010. Where we tasted over eight different styles of this little-known wine (I think we bought one of each wine tasted).

Cooking at Home – A French Dinner for our Family - Our French Wine

As we prepare our French Dinner for our family it brought back memories of my first French dinner with my French family back in 1963. Our French family at that time lived, east of Bordeaux, not far from Saint Émilion in a small village called Saint Seurin sur l'Isle. They were also the owners of a café called 'Café du Midi'.

A French Dinner for our Family - Saint Seurin sur l'Isle 1963

Saint Seurin sur l'Isle 1963

Saint Seurin sur l'Isle 1963 – Our Fre Families Café – Café’ du Midi

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Back to our dinner...

Our French dinner consisted of six courses served in the restaurant style. We did take a break from tradition and had the salad in more of the American order. We started our meal off with a L ‘entrée (appetizer) of a take on a Charcuterie (preserved meats and cheeses). Next followed an aperitif of orange peel wine. A fennel and mushroom salad was served next. The Le Plat Principal (Main course) was a poached egg in a red wine sauce on a croûte. Followed by Coq au Riesling (braise chicken with Riesling) with boil fingerling potatoes with parsley and roasted asparagus. Le Dessert was a berry soup with Champagne.

We used no great science in selecting which wines to have with which course. We chose the garage wine for the Charcuterie because of the great flavor paired with the fats of the meat. Since eggs are usually served with white wine, we chose the lighter Cru Beaujolais for our poached egg in Burgundy wine sauce with croûte.

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What about the food?

But first the Aperitif.....

Apéritif vin de zeste d'orange
Orange Peel Wine Aperitif****

Cooking at Home - A French Dinner for our Family - Orange Peel Wine Aperitif - Photo by J. Rodgers

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Fenouil et salade de champignons

Fennel and Mushroom Salad***+

Cooking at Home – A French Dinner for our Family –Fenouil et salade de champignons (Fennel and Mushroom Salad)

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Oeufs pochés sauce vin Bourgogne

Poached Eggs in Burgundy Wine Sauce****

Cooking at Home – A French Dinner for our Family - Oeufs pochés sauce vin Bourgogne (Poached Eggs in Burgundy Wine Sauce)

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Coq au Riesling, pommes de terre grelots persil bouillie et asperges grillées

Chicken in Riesling with Boiled Fingerling Potatoes with Parsley and Roasted Asparagus****

Cooking at Home – A French Dinner for our Family - Coq au Riesling, pommes de terre grelots persil bouillie et asperges grilles (Chicken in Riesling with Boiled Fingerling Potatoes and Roasted Asparagus)

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Champagne et soupe de Berry

Berry Soup and Champagne****+

Cooking at Home – A French Dinner for our Family - Champagne et soupe de Berry (Berry Soup and Champagne) 

Our wines in order:

Thunevin 2006 Bad Boy (Mauvais Garçon)

Bordeaux, France

Robert Parker nicknamed Jean Luc Thunevin as bad boy and black sheep, and thus gave Thunevin the idea to create the Bad Boy (Mauvais Garçon) cuvée.

Mauvais Garçon (Bad Boy) was born as a Bordeaux wine, due to the legislation ruling at that time, it only seemed natural to create a Baby Bad Boy by the time the new appellation Vin de France appeared, and it was compulsory to also give birth to a Bad Girl, Crémant de Bordeaux.

This cuvee from leading garagiste Jean-Luc Thunevin is a blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, from vines at least 40 years old on a great terroir of clay and limestone. The nose is full of blackberry, black cherry, black pepper, and black olives. These "black" notes follow through on the palate, where notes of cassis, smoke and minerals also emerge. Full bodied with a silky texture and loaded with ripe chewy tannins, this wine is a pure, delicious offering. 91 Points-Wine Spectator.

2007 Lucien Lardy, Fleurie, "les Roches" Vieilles Vignes

This cru Beaujolais offers superb value and should be enjoyed young even though it may well evolve for another half dozen years.  Aromas of cassis, blueberry, plum, sage, and smoked meats fill the nose. Orange zest, black pepper, and crushed stone add further complexity on a pleasantly dense palate, offering lift and luscious refreshment characteristic of Beaujolais.

Domaine de La Côte de l’Ange 2010 Côtes du Rhône

Châteauneuf du Pape, France

This wine is a dark ruby red color, with superb youthful glints of deep purple. The nose is very fresh, with aromas of violet, black currant and dark fruits, but also of red fruits, cedar and spices. It is light and fresh in the mouth, with a nice balance of roundedness and intensity, banishing on a peppery note combined with dark fruits.

Domaine de La Côte de l’Ange 2010 Chateauneuf du Pape

Châteauneuf du Pape, France

“The 2010 Châteauneuf du Pape is a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah aged in a combination of cement and old wood foudres. The wine has a dense ruby/purple color and a classic nose of blueberries, blackberries, licorice, new saddle leather, roasted meats as well as pepper and spice. It is full-bodied, moderately tannic and impressive. Let it age for another 2 3 years and drink it over the following 15 or more.” (93 points WA 10/2012)

And to end the evening

Château Branda 2005

Puisseguin-Saint-Emilion, France

This lovely wine is made under the supervision of wine-making guru Michel Puzio, deemed one of the best makers of Merlot in the world.

 Robert Parker says of this wine: "Like many of the unheralded terroirs from the satellite appellations, Branda's vineyard is planted in clay soils, and hence produced a strong effort. Readers looking for a fruity, medium-bodied, well-made, pure, smooth claret should check out this reliable performer from a St.-Emilion satellite appellation. The 2005 Branda will offer lovely drinking over the next 4-5 years." GOLD MEDAL Concours des Grands Vin de France 2007.

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In the following weeks we will post the recipes for:

Fennel and Mushroom Salad

Poached Eggs in Burgundy Wine Sauce

Chicken in Riesling 

Berry Soup and Champagne

Bon Appétit

zzzz

A Taste of Wine - Opening a bottle of 2006 Palazzo della Torre

A Taste of Wine - Opening a bottle of 2006 Palazzo della Torre brings back memories and some Out and About...

2006 Palazzo della Torre

The other night we opened a bottle of 2006 Palazzo della Torre. I noticed we bought it from Lombardi's Everett Marina several years ago. As it turned out we bought it after one of Lombardi's wine events. This one was called “Wines on the Waterfront” and took place, May 15th 2010.

“Wines on the waterfront” was hosted by the fabulous then wine rep Julie Hillman. The wines were paired with appetizer bites created by then Everett chef Christian Turner. It was a great pairing. You can find the original blog at: http://foodwinetravelanddiningout.blogspot.com/2010/05/saturday-5152010-wine-tasting-and.html

This wine tasting was one of a series of what Lombardi's called ‘small bites’. The ‘small bites’ series was great to taste wine and matching food without breaking the bank.

The Fabulous Julie Hilman - wine aficionado

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From the 5/2010 Blog

Lombardi’s “Wines on the Waterfront” with wine aficionado Julie Hilman. Tasted 6 wines from the Veneto region of Italy. These wines were paired with 6 appetizer bites created by Everett’s Chef Christian Turner.

Lombardi’s “Wines on the Waterfront” with wine aficionado Julie Hilman.

White Course

Citrus Prawns***
Adami Garbel Prosecco 13** slightly sweet

Brie and fig compote***
Lugana San Benedetto*** crisp and fruity

Italian flat bread and pesto and goat cheese***
Inama Vin Soave** pleasant on the palate

Lombardi’s “Wines on the Waterfront” with wine aficionado Julie Hilman.

Red Course

Italian salsa with fresh Mozzarella on a crostini***
Zenato Valpolicella DOC Classico Superiore*** elegant bouquet

Wild Boar with horseradish mascarpone on a crostni***
2006 Palazzo della Torre**** Floral nose, complex and well balance.

Chocolate Mousse** would have liked to have had the wine match with a read meat.
2006 Amorone Della Valpolceele, Campo Dei Gigli, Tenuta San Antonio**** very intensive, complex and fine bodied

Lombardi’s neighborhood Italian restaurant Everett Marina 

The Fabulous Julie Hilman - wine aficionado

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Out and about - Visiting two chain restaurants

While out one Saturday with two gift cards in hand we stopped at two chain restaurants . The Claim Jumper and The Keg Steakhouse and Bar located less than one mile apart in Lynnwood, Washington. Our plan was to visit the bar (go figure?) to have a drink and appetizer.  Thus checking out the place and tasting their food.

Our Observations:

We found the decor in both restaurants was very nice and matched their theme. The wait staff was well trained and on their game.

We had a pizza at the Claim Jumper. Unfortunately, it reminded us of a box pizza, not very appetizing looking. The flavors were just okay. Our beer came in plastic glasses, not the best idea.

At The Keg Steakhouse and Bar we had two appetizers the escargot and a chicken dip. The escargot had a unpleasant mustard flavor and the escargot fell out of the mushroom. The chicken dip was okay.

Even though there were some disappointment in some of the appetizers we had a great time and would definitely go back for dinner service.

The claim Jumper - Stella Artois

The claim Jumper – Pizza

The Keg Steakhouse and Bar 

The Keg Steakhouse and Bar - escargot - escargot stuffed mushroom caps

The Keg Steakhouse and Bar - Santa Fe chicken dip

zzz