FoodBanter.com - View Single Post

Janet Bostwick

On Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:06:53 +0100, (Victor Sack)
wrote:

>Coq au vin rouge is one of the world's most famous dishes and, as far as
>I am concerned, also one of the most overrated. It is incomparably
>better made with (and accompanied by) white wine. I posted an Alsatian
>version of coq au Riesling before; this one is made with chardonnay and
>is very nice indeed, too. Instead of a jointed whole chicken I used
>chicken legs and thighs; instead of butter flavoured with Oregon black
>truffles I used Italian-produced butter flavoured with summer truffles;
>instead of pearl onions I used small shallots, peeled but not blanched.
>
>Victor
>
> Pairings: Coq au Vin Blanc
> By FLORENCE FABRICANT
>
>Just as Oregon borrows from Burgundy in vineyards planted with pinot
>noirs and chardonnays, that region also inspires dinner. The iconic
>boeuf bourguignon would not be the best choice with chardonnay, but this
>version of coq au vin, replacing Chambertin with chardonnay, couldn't be
>better. I went light with it, omitting the bacon lardons. And I gave a
>nod to Oregon's truffle crop by finishing the sauce with a gloss of
>black truffle butter. It's a modest investment that elevates the dish.
>A generous slab of unsalted butter (especially if it's high-fat
>European-style) could also bolster the sauce, though with less foxy
>intrigue.
>
> Coq au Vin Blanc
>Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
>
>1 tablespoon grape-seed oil
>1 3 1/2-pound chicken, in 10 pieces without backbone, dried
>Salt and ground white pepper
>8 ounces white pearl onions, blanched 3 minutes and peeled
>1 medium onion, finely chopped
>1/4 cup finely chopped celery
>4 cloves garlic, sliced
>9 ounces oyster mushrooms, trimmed, clumps separated
>3/4 cup chardonnay
>1 tablespoon lemon juice
>2 tablespoons butter (unsalted or black truffle)
>1 tablespoon minced tarragon
>
>1. Heat the oil on medium-high in a 4-quart stovetop casserole or sauté
>pan. Add the chicken, skin side down, as many pieces as fit
>comfortably. Cook until lightly browned, season with salt and pepper
>and turn to brown other side. Remove to a platter when done and repeat
>with the remaining chicken.
>
>2. Add the pearl onions to casserole and toss in fat until lightly
>browned. Remove to a dish. Reduce heat to low. Add the chopped onion,
>celery and garlic, cook until softened, and stir in the mushrooms. When
>they wilt, add the wine, bring to a simmer and season with salt, pepper
>and lemon juice. Return chicken to casserole with any accumulated
>juices, baste, cover and cook 30 minutes, basting a few more times.
>Remove the chicken to a platter.
>
>3. Increase heat to medium-high and cook the sauce and mushrooms about
>5 minutes, until sauce thickens slightly. Lower heat, add the pearl
>onions and butter. When butter melts, check seasonings, return chicken
>to casserole, baste and simmer a few minutes. Serve from casserole or
>transfer to a deep platter. Scatter the tarragon on top before serving.
>
>Yield: 4 servings.

I think I'll try this -- I just happen to have both black and white
truffle butter on hand. I just bought 25 pounds of chicken breasts
(bone in skin on) on sale for $.89. Although I always have mushrooms
on hand, I don't have oyster mushrooms so I will have to buy those.
Sounds good.
Janet US