Category: POULTRY

PORK CHOPS MARSALA

Remember when I researched scampi?  And decided that scampi is not just for shrimp? Well, I got to thinking about how we get into cooking/eating ruts.  Are you in a rut?  We are sometimes even with me always trying new recipes.  I started analyzing the flavors we like and those we don’t.  Then I started wondering how I was going to transfers those like into new recipes.  I realized I don’t really need “new” recipes, I just need to “trade” out some ingredients.  This eventually led to me thinking about Chicken Marsala, one of our very favorite flavor combos. Adn that Marsala is not just for chicken.
To get you started here is a little Marsala history.

Marsala Wine Information
Marsala is the west section of Sicily, the island near the foot end of Italy. In 1798 the Sicilians managed to substitute their own wines in place of the standard rum in an English naval shipment. In those seafaring days, something had to be done to wine to allow it to last the long ocean journeys. Brandy was added to allow the wine to last longer, and to be more resistant to temperature changes. These were called “fortified wines”.

Once the British had a taste of Marsala, demand grew quickly. In the United States during Prohibition, things became even more interesting. The typical Marsala bottles made the wine look like medicine. People found that getting Marsala was less risky than other types of wine. While not as popular now, it is still used quite frequently as a cooking wine in Italian dishes.

Marsala uses the following grapes: 

  • white skin/berry grapes: Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia and Damaschino for golden and amber Marsala
  • dark red skin/berry grapes: Pignatello, Calabrese, Nerello Mascalese, Nero d’Avola for ruby red 
Marsala is made in the “solera” tradition – a melding of years. First, a keg is filled with wine from the current vintage of grapes. Subsequent years with similar tastes are placed in kegs above the first. When liquid is drawn out of the bottom (oldest) keg, it is refreshed with liquid from the next keg up, and so on. In this manner, the taste remains the same throughout the cycle, and every bottle you get has (potentially) some liquid from the very first vintage.

Types of Marsala

    * Fine: 17° alcohol, aged >1 yr
    * Superiore: 18° alcohol, aged >2 years
    * Superiore Riserva: 18° alcohol, aged 4 years
    * Vergine Soleras: 18° alcohol, aged 5 years

Marsala was traditionally served between the first and second courses. It is now also served, chilled, with Parmesan (stravecchio), Gorgonzola, Roquefort and other, spicy cheeses.

Marsala Substitutions
I regularly get email from casual wine drinkers who come across a recipe for chicken marsala or veal marsala and want to know what other alcohol they can substitute instead. I *love* both of these dishes. Here’s the issue. Imagine you had a recipe for making orange juice and you wanted to substitute lemons instead. They’re both citrus! However they taste very different. So you’re no longer making orange juice, you’re making lemon juice now.

The same thing is true for dishes with marsala. It has a very specific dish. Sure, you could make chicken with chardonnay, or chicken with cabernet, and they might be tasty. But they are no longer chicken marsala. The flavor will be completely different. So at that point you could call it “chicken with wine” and be happy. If you want chicken marsala, then you need to find marsala, so that it tastes like marsala.

Pretty much any regular wine shop will have marsala bottles on their shelves, along with the port and sherry. Again marsala doesn’t taste like port and sherry 🙂 But that’s the type of wine it is. So I highly recommend that you take a run to your local wine shop, grab a bottle of marsala and enjoy! It lasts a long time because it’s fortified. Chicken and veal marsala are really yummy, so you’ll want to make it several times. It’s one of those staples of cooking, like having lemon juice in your fridge.

If you have serious issues with alcohol, I’m afraid there is not a non-alcoholic marsala flavoring. Note that any recipe calling for “Marsala” means this wine. Marsala is the name for this wine.

Sweet vs Dry Marsala
I get emails from cooks asking which they should use – sweet or dry marsala – in a recipe. It’s like saying you have a recipe which says to use cheddar cheese and you have mild cheddar and sharp cheddar and medium cheddar, and which should you use. You can use any of them. They are all cheddar, they will all provide a cheddar flavor. If you like mild cheddar better, you might go with that. But if you’re not a cheese fanatic you might not even really notice the subtle differences between for example mild and medium cheddar flavors when they are in a dish.

So it definitely is to taste 🙂 Do you like sweetish chicken dishes? Do you like non-sweetish chicken dishes? Are you even going to notice the difference which is that kind of subtle variation? Who knows, you might not even be able to taste any difference since both are going to taste “like marsala”. Undoubtedly you’re not going to make chicken or veal marsala only once in your life if you like it, you’ll make it every few weeks. So make it one time with the sweet and one time with the dry, and see if you can even notice any difference. Or, I suppose, have someone else add in the marsala and not tell you which they used and see if you can guess 🙂 It might be you can’t even tell which is being used, in which case it’s not worth worrying about. Use whichever one you have more of.

Storing Marsala
Marsala is a fortified wine – this means they add hard alcohol to it. This also means that, just like you can keep opened (sealed) bottles of vodka and rum on your shelves, you can also keep an opened bottle of marsala around. Yes, the flavor will gently deteriorate over time, but it won’t go from wonderful tasting to awful tasting in three days. You probably won’t even notice the flavor difference after a month or two. Still, I’d suggest drinking it all within three to four months (or cooking dishes with it). When you cook with a flavor, you get a really concentrated version of that flavor. So you want really tasty, yummy marsala flavors – not sort of stale, stagnant marsala flavors. I am very much a fan of eating food that you really enjoy, and savoring the flavors!

Marsala is fortified, so you do NOT have to store it in a fridge or take any special measures. Just keep it in a cool, dark area like any other oil or wine. Marsala will not “go bad” – it won’t turn dangerous to drink – but its flavors will fade over time.

PORK CHOPS Marsala

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 boneless pork chops – 1/4-1/2  inch thick
  • 2 slices thick bacon, diced
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small white onion
  • 2 cups frozen green beans
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup Marsala wine
  • 1/4 cup sweet cooking sherry
  1. With a mortar and pestle grind the oregano. Sift together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. Coat the chicken pieces well.
  2. In a heavy skillet, heat butter. Add the bacon pieces and stir fry for several minutes.  Slice onion into rings and separate. When butter is hot, saute’ onions until just caramelized.  Add the mushrooms and green beans and saute until cooked through. Set aside and place pork chops in skillet and brown on both sides about 5 minutes per side over medium heat. Remove and set aside.
  3. To the skillet, add the wine, lemon juice and sherry. Stir, reduce heat, and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce is partially reduced and begins to thicken. Return chicken breasts to the skillet. Spoon sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook over low heat for about 5-10 minutes or until chicken is done.

CHICKEN MARSALA

Chicken Marsala

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – pounded 1/4 inch thick
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small white onion, sliced into thin rings and then separated
  • 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced thin
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup Marsala wine
  • 1/4 cup sweet cooking sherry
  1. With a mortar and pestle grind the oregano. 
  2. Sift together the flour, salt, pepper and oregano. 
  3. Coat the chicken pieces well with the flour mixture.
  4. In a heavy skillet, heat oil and butter.  
  5. When oil and butter is hot, saute’ onions and mushrooms until just caramelized. 
  6. Set aside onions and mushrooms and place chicken breasts in skillet and brown on both sides about 6 minutes per side over medium heat. Remove and set aside, but keep warm.
  7. To the skillet, add the wine, lemon juice and sherry. Stir, reduce heat, and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce is partially reduced and begins to thicken.
  8. Return onions and mushrooms to the skillet. 
  9. Plate chicken breasts.
  10. Spoon sauce over the chicken.
  11. Cover and cook over low heat for about 5-10 minutes or until chicken is done.

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BLANCO ROSA POLLO PASTA

BLANCO ROSA PASTA
 ¾ pounds penne pasta (I used lingiuini tonight)
1 pound chicken, cubed
3 Tablespoons Butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 
1 small Vidalia Onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced  
½ cup White Zinfandel Wine*
1 8 ounce can Contadina tomato sauce
1 cup heavy whipping cream  
Fresh parsley, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Asiago Parmesan cheese, grated

  • Cook the penne pasta until al dente per package instructions.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in a skillet. 
  • Add the chicken and saute until just done. Do not overcook them. 
  • Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
  • In a large skillet heat the remaining butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and onion sauteing until translucent and fragrant, stirring occasionally. 
  • Add the wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the can of tomato sauce. Stir until well combined. 
  • Add heavy cream. Continue stirring until well blended. 
  • Lower heat to a simmer.
  • Add chicken pieces back in and heat through.
  • Toss with prepared pasta.
  • Top with basil, parsley and grate Parmesan cheese.

*Can substitute chicken broth if you prefer.
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CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN with PEPPER GRAVY & FAMILY FAVORITE MASHED POTATOES

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN
2 large boneless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2-4 tablespoons butter (enough to keep chicken from burning~add as necessary)
  • Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts.
  • In a shallow glass pan, pour buttermilk over chicken 1-2 hours prior to cooking.
  • Make sure to coat chicken well and turn at least once during soaking.
  • Drain, but do NOT rinse the buttermilk off.
  • In a medium sized skillet melt the butter over medium heat. As butter melts and begins to very slightly sizzle, prepare breasts.
  • In a small ziploc bag mix together the flour, salt and pepper.
  • One at a time, put each chicken breast in bag and coat well with flour mix and then into sizzling butter.
  • Cook on one side until edges begin to bleed and then turn.
  • About 6 minutes each side depending on plumpness.
  • Keep chicken warm.
PEPPERED GRAVY
3 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons Wondra flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper + (to taste)
  • Melt butter into bottom of pan you just cooked the chicken in.
  • Scrape up any of the chicken pieces and mix into new butter.
  • Add flour slowly, stirring until absorbed by butter and golden brown.
  • Slowly add first the milk and then the cream.
  • Stir constantly until thickens.
  • If necessary sprinkle in more Wondra until desired thickness is reached.
  • Serve over chicken and mashed potatoes.
FAMILY FAVORITE MASHED POTATOES
4 large Yukon potatoes, peeled & quartered
4 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin

1/4 + buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter
salt & pepper to taste
  • Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender.
  • Drain.
  • Mash all together, salt and peppering to taste as you go. 

TURKEY TETTRAZINI revisited as CHICKEN TETTRAZINI

When I was a kid and just starting to do the majority of the family cooking we had a set group of recipes that were the “weeknight” recipes. One of those recipes that was especially popular during the holidays was Turkey Tetrazzini. We also substituted ham and chicken for the turkey throughout the rest of the year. Back then I prepared the recipes as they were written and they were okay, but the Tettrazzini recipe used ALL Velveeta and canned mushrooms and stuff I wouldn’t think of putting into my body now so it was my goal to create the same recipe in a more health oriented way, but still easy for a weeknight meal.

CHICKEN TETTRAZZINI
2 + 3 tablespoons butter
1 large bunch green onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
8 ounces linguine, broken in half and cooked al dente
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken pieces*
3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet.
  • Saute onions and celery just until tender.  Set aside.
  • In a medium sauce pan melt 3 tablespoons butter.
  • Whisk in 3 tablespoons flour until golden.
  • Gradually add milk, stirring to blend. Cook just until thick.
  • Add cheddar cheese.
  • Add salt and pepper.
  • In the bottom of an 11×7 baking dish scatter first the pasta and then the meat pieces.
  • Pour soup mixture over top.
  • Top with mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes.

*ham and turkey work well too



CHICKEN ala BAD DAY and home made SOY SAUCE substitute

I was having one of those days with trying to get my aunt to a specific appointment at a specific time.  You know the type that she wasn’t (or wasn’t able to) cooperating, the weather was storming, it was hot and muggy and I was just plain getting worn out dealing with her.  We were supposed to have leftovers tonight, I had planned it that way knowing I would be gone dealing with her, but someone, who will remain nameless decided that it looked better for lunch.  So when I got home I rooted around the crisper and the pantry trying to throw together enough dinner for tonight and was pleasantly surprised at the outcome.  My uncle asked what I called this and I said Chicken ala Bad Day.  He asked if I would post it to my blog and I said yes, because guess what?  They want me to make it again and it turned out REALLY good.

CHICKEN ala BAD DAY 
3 tablespoons butter
2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup champagne vinegar 
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
salt and pepper to taste 
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed 
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced

  • Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
  • Generously salt and pepper the chicken pieces.
  • Saute’ the onions and garlic until they soften and brown, about 5 minutes.
  • Add chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides. 
  • Pour in vinegars and molasses.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is well glazed.  I removed the chicken and then added mushrooms and green beans and sauteed them in the remaining sauce creating a great accompanying vegetable.
I was going to use soy sauce when I discovered I was completely out and so I looked up substitutes.  I found this and it sounds like a great mix that I plan to try soon.
Soy Sauce Alternatives
If you are looking for a substitute for soy sauce which can be stored for sometime, here is a concoction which can be used for a month, if stored in the refrigerator.

Prepare garlic vinegar
5 garlic cloves
½ a quart of boiling white wine vinegar
1½ tablespoons of peppercorns 

1 tablespoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
+/-5 tablespoons blackstrap molasses (a spiritous mixture of rum and molasses)

  • Add garlic and peppercorns to vinegar and  let it stand for 3 weeks.
  • After 3 weeks,  add onion powder and ground ginger to 1¾ cups of the strained garlic vinegar. 
  • Next add +/-5 tablespoons. Take care to add the blackstrap based on how sour or sweet you want it to be. 

This soy sauce alternative is actually the best choice for those who are on a low sodium diet owing to blood pressure or cardiovascular issues and also makes way for the health benefits of blackstrap molasses which includes regularization of bowel movement, arthritic pain relief and restoration of color to graying hair.

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CHICKEN SCAMPI

A while back I made Shrimp Scampi and it was so good I decided to make Chicken Scampi.

1 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
1/3 cup clarified butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
Fresh parsley for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste
  • Clean and rinse chicken pieces, dry well and set aside.
  • Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat.
  • Cook garlic 1 or 2 minutes or until softened but not browned.
  • Add chicken pieces, green onions, wine and lemon juice; cook until chicken is cooked through.
  • Do not overcook.
  • Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper before serving.
  • Garnish with lemon slices and parsley sprigs if desired.
  • Serve with buttered noodles and a green veggie. I tossed them all together for a one pot meal.

BBQ BACON ROASTED CHICKEN

I found an awesome sale recently on roasting chicken and more importantly found this awesome 8 pound bird.  Yep, I said 8 pounds.  I’m going to get several meals out of this one!  As for the leftovers, I think we’ll have a Chicken Caesar salad and some Chicken a la King – haven’t had that in eons!
I will write the recipe though based on a standard size bird. I also swear I had bacon in the meat keeper, but it’s not there now so today we made it with hard salami and guess what?  It was awesome!  Honestly the main purpose of the meat is to keep the moisture in.
BBQ BACON SALAMI ROASTED CHICKEN
3-4 pound roasting chicken
6 slices bacon, cut as necessary
1 cup favorite BBQ sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
3 stalks celery, washed and halved lengthwise
3 large carrots, washed and halved lengthwise
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Clean and wash the chicken well.
  • Layer celery and carrots on bottom of roasting pan.
  • Pour broth over vegetables.
  • Generously salt and pepper chicken.
  • With a silicone basting brush, brush chicken with a layer of BBQ sauce.
  • Basket weave the bacon together over the entire chicken.
  • Brush another coat of BBQ sauce over the bacon.
  • Roast chicken uncovered.
  • Baste with BBQ sauce every 1/2 hour.
RULE OF THUMB FOR ROASTING CHICKEN:  
30 minutes per pound up to 3 1/2 pounds.

22-25 minutes per pound over 3 1/2 pounds
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CHICKEN ENCHILADAS SUIZA

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS SUIZA

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (or bone in if your prefer)** SEE NOTES
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
4 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained well
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 can Rotel mild original tomatoes with green chiles, drained
10 ounce can mild enchilada sauce, green
2 cups finely shredded jack and cheddar cheese
tortillas

  • Place chicken in stock pot with enough water to cover, salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a low rolling boil until chicken is cooked through.
  • Cool, de-bone if necessary and cut into bite sized pieces, preferably shredded.

 

  • In a large bowl mix together the chicken pieces, Rotel tomatoes, green chiles, 1 cup of the cheese and 1/4 cup of the sour cream. Mix well.

ASSEMBLY

  • I like to slice off the major portion of the arc of the tortilla so I have a large rectangle to work with.
  • Lightly spread a thin layer of sour cream on each tortilla.
  • Divide the chicken mixture amongst all the tortillas and roll them securely.
  • Place each one seam side down, side by side in a lightly sprayed rectangular baking dish.
  • Pour the sauce evenly over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
  • Bake foil covered for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.
  • Uncover and bake another 15 minutes until cheese is melted and crisp.
  • Serve with re-fried beans.

NOTES: Rotisserie chicken pieces make an awesome substitution and decrease your prep time 😀

Originally posted 2-5-2010
Updated 7-25-2022

NUTTY MUSHROOM CASHEW CHICKEN

NUTTY MUSHROOM CASHEW CHICKEN
4 chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
1 small bunch green onions, sliced
1 ounce dehydrated Maitake mushrooms, re-hydrated and then chopped
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons oil
2 cup hot chicken broth
2 teaspoon lemon juice
½ cup cashews
cooked rice
  • Heat canola oil over medium high heat until JUST sizzling.
  • Saute’ green onions and mushrooms until tender. Using a slotted spoon remove onions and Maitake mushrooms to drain on paper towels.
  • Stir fry chicken in hot oil in frying pan or wok until chicken is lightly brown and tender, about 8 minutes. 
  • Remove chicken from oil and drain excess oil from the pan. 
  • Whisk together the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and  the  Worcestershire sauce. 
  • Blend well, then add chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened. 
  • Add lemon juice; add chicken pieces, onions and mushrooms and reheat. Do not boil. 
  • Taste to correct seasonings. 
  • Add cashews. 
  • Serve over hot rice.
He all but licked his plate!

Don’t forget to enter the new giveaway!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole ~ the SCRATCH version

This is another recipe that was full of boxed, canned or preserved ingredients that I changed to “scratch” ingredients.  It was another great success and will be a wonderful cold weather dish this winter.
CHICKEN CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 cups cooked chicken pieces (2 large breasts)**
1 cup ham steak, diced
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4 cups cooked egg noodles
1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
2 slices swiss cheese
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
  • Lightly spray 9×9 baking dish.
  • Melt the butter in saucepan.
  • Whisk in the flour, poultry seasoning and salt and cook until bubbly. 
  • Remove from heat and gradually whisk in liquid. 
  • Return to heat and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened.
  • Set aside to cool.
  • Cook noodles, drain and set aside to cool.
  • Spray a skillet with PURE.
  • Over medium high heat saute chicken pieces and onions until chicken is cooked through.
  • Add ham pieces and heat through.
  • To the cooled soup mixture add the mayonnaise, parsley flakes and blend well.
  • Stir in the chicken, ham and onion mixture until well mixed.
  • Fold in egg noodles gently.
  • Arrange in baking dish.
  • Bake 20 minutes.
  • Top with cheese (see picture above).
  • Bake 10 more minutes.
  • Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

**This is a great recipe to use with rotisserie chicken!

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Not Julia Child’s Coq au Vin, but just as flavorful and easier too!

WHITE ZINFANDEL COQ AU VIN
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 pound bacon. choppped
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 & 1/2 cups carrot slices
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
1 really large bunch green onions, sliced thin (I used Mexican green onions)
1 & 1/2 cups white zinfandel
2 tablespoons Better Than Chicken Base
2 cups boiling hot water
fresh parsley sprigs
fresh tarragon sprigs
  • Place flour in a large plastic bag, add chicken, seal and shake to coat chicken with flour.
  • In a large saute’ pan brown bacon until crumbly.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
  • In the bacon drippings stir fry the chicken pieces until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
  • Add butter.  Scrape bottom to loosen and browned bits.  These will add great flavor.  When butter is melted add carrots and cook 2-3 minutes.  Add celery and onions and saute until tender.
  • Whisk together wine, boiling water, chicken base and seasonings.  Pour over vegetables.
  • Add back in the chicken and bacon pieces. 
  • Cover and bring to a boil.
  • Lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes until sauce is thick.
  • Serve over Parmesan Potatoes.
Now just for your pleasure, here is Julia’s recipe that I found on the net.

This is Julia Child’s recipe for her famous Coq Au Vin (Casserole of Chicken in Red Wine). Most of Julia’s cookbooks included this recipe. In every version in Julia’s cookbooks, she slightly updates the recipe.

Coq au Vin
Coq au Vin (literally “rooster in red wine”) is probably the most famous of all French chicken dishes, and certainly one of the most delicious, with its rich red wine sauce, its tender onions and mushrooms and its browned pieces of chicken with their wonderful flavor. Ideal for a party because you may prepare it completely a day or more before serving. In fact, Coq au Vin seems to be even better when done ahead so all its elements have time to steep together.
The History: Coq Au Vin is a Burgundian dish, and is considered a French comfort food. The traditional recipe for Coq au Vin did not include chicken, but rather a “Coq,” which is a rooster. A lot of recipes originally called for old barnyard fowl, roosters, capon (a de-sexed rooster), and old laying hens. Coq au Vin was originally considered peasant food, and the farmers would make do with what they had on hand. 
 
The red wine in the recipe was used not to mask flavor, but to allow the acids to help break down the old meat of the rooster True coq Au Vin was actually finished with the blood of the rooster stabilized with brandy and vinegar, this would help the blood not clot.
Julia Child’s Coq au Vin
2 1/2 to 3 pounds cut-up frying chicken, skin on and thoroughly dried (I used skinless boneless breasts and thighs instead)*
4 ounces lean thick-cut bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup cognac
2 cups red wine (Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Beaujolais or Chianti)**
2 cup homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken stock or broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, mashed or minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme
Brown-Braised Onions (see recipe below)
Mushrooms (see recipe below)
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Parsley sprigs
Dry chicken thoroughly in a towel. Season chicken with salt and pepper; set aside.
Remove any rind off the bacon and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4-inch across and 1-inch long). In a saucepan, simmer the bacon sticks in 2 quarts of water for 10 minutes; remove from heat, drain, rinse in cold water, and pat dry.
In a large heavy frying pan, casserole dish, or electric skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil until moderately hot. Add the bacon and saute slowly until they are lightly browned. Remove bacon to a side dish. Place chicken pieces into the hot oil (not crowding pan), and brown on all sides. Return bacon to the pan, cover pan, and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning chicken once.
After browning the chicken, uncover pan, pour in the cognac. Flambé by igniting with a lighted match. Let flame a minute, swirling pan by its handle to burn off alcohol; extinguish with pan cover.
Pour the red wine into the pan and add just enough chicken broth to completely cover the chicken pieces. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover pan, and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes or until the chicken meat is tender when pierced with a fork or an instant-read meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the Brown-Braised Onions and the Mushrooms.
When the chicken is done cooking, remove from the pan to a platter, leaving the cooking liquid in the pan. Increase heat to high and boil the cooking liquid rapidly until approximately 2 cups of liquid remains. 
While the liquid is boiling, in a small bowl, blend the 3 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons softened butter into a smooth paste; beat the flour/butter mixture into the approximately 2 cups hot cooking liquid with a whisk. Simmer and stir for a minute or two until the sauce has thickened (the result will be a sauce thick enough to lightly coat a spoon – just thick enough to coat the chicken and vegetables lightly). If sauce is too thin, boil down rapidly to concentrate; if sauce is too thick, thin out with additional spoonfuls of chicken stock. Taste the final sauce, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
Before serving, reheat the onions and mushrooms (if necessary). 
Storing:  Chicken is now ready for final reheating, but can be set aside in the sauce until cool, then covered and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days. To reheat, simmer slowly, covered, over low heat. Baste and turn chicken every 2 minutes until thoroughly warmed through (6 to 8 minutes). NOTE: Do not overcook chicken at this point.
To serve immediately: Shortly before serving, bring the sauce and the cooked chicken to a simmer, cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until chicken is hot through. NOTE: Do not overcook chicken at this point.
To serve:  Either serve from the casserole dish or arrange the chicken on a large platter. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Arrange the Brown-Braised Onions on one side of the chicken and the Mushrooms on the other side. Decorate with sprigs of parsley. Accompany with parsley potatoes, rice, or noodles; buttered green peas or a green salad; hot French bread; and the same red wine you used for cooking the chicken. NOTE: This dish is traditionally served with wide egg noodles.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
 
Brown-Braised Onions:
12 to 24 small white onions, peeled (or double the amount if you want to use tiny frozen peeled raw onions)*
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
* If neither frozen nor fresh pearl onions are available, substitute one large onion cut into 1/2-inch pieces. (Do not use jarred pearl onions, which will turn mushy and disintegrate into the sauce.) 
  • While chicken is cooking, drop onions into boiling water, bring water back to the boil, and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain. Cool onions in ice water. Shave off the two ends (root and stem ends) of each onion, peel carefully, and pierce a deep cross in the root end with a small knife (to keep onions whole during cooking).
  • In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil, add parboiled onions, and toss for several minutes until lightly browned (this will be a patchy brown). Add water to halfway up onions and add 1/4 to1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover pan and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes or until onions are tender when pierce with a knife.
NOTE: Onions may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.

 Mushrooms:
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat butter and olive oil; when bubbling hot, toss in mushrooms and saute over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
NOTE: Mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.