Coq Au Vin - Julia Child

With a little imagination, "Mademoiselle de Paris" softly playing on the radio, and a glass of red wine in hand, my kitchen can be transformed into a Parisian  pied-à-terre near the Champs-Élysées any day of the week...

Okay, maybe with A LOT of imagination!

No, seriously...I love to get into the kitchen, put a little Juliette Greco or Edith Piaf on the radio and cook a classically delicious French meal.  There's something amazing about all those layers of flavor that go into a meal cooked slowly with red wine like Coq Au Vin or Boeuf Bourguignon.  And, if you've never made one of these, you are missing out on two of the best dishes you'll ever eat.  I blogged about Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon HERE, and her recipe below for Coq Au Vin is equally as life-changing. 

When I'm in the mood for classic French cuisine, I undoubtedly always turn to Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  I only made a few minor adjustments:  I did not use the cognac.  The idea of lighting it on fire with a match makes me incredibly nervous!  I'll get over that one day, but not just yet.  Also, I couldn't find fresh pearl onions, so I left those out.  However, I partially made up for that by using regular onions in the following marinade technique:

Some recipes for Coq Au Vin, like THIS ONE, call for marinating the chicken pieces in the red wine overnight, along with carrots, onions and celery.  I really loved that idea, so I added this extra step to Julia's version, using the quantities in the recipe from Epicurious included above.  I simply removed the chicken from the marinade (reserving the marinade!) and dried it well with paper towels before browning it in the bacon fat.  I also left the vegetables in the marinade while it simmered with the chicken, but strained the veggies out after the chicken was removed (see notes below).  


This dish was amazing, and Brad gave it 2 BIG thumbs up as well.


Bon Appetit, my friends!

Ingredients:

• See my notes above about marinating the chicken overnight!  If you do this, extra ingredients will be needed.
• 3 to 4-ounce chunk lean bacon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying chicken, cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, plus additional for seasoning
• 1/4 cup cognac
• 3 cups young, full-bodied red wine, such as Burgundy, Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, or Chianti
• 1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock, brown stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 12 to 24 Brown-Braised Onions, recipe follows
• 1/2 pound Sauteed Mushrooms, recipe follows
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• Fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4-inch across and 1-inch long). Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in cold water. Dry.

In a heavy large heavy bottomed casserole or Dutch oven, saute the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very lightly browned (temperature of 260 degrees F for an electric skillet). Remove to a side dish.

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat in the casserole. (360 degrees F for the electric skillet.)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly (300 degrees F) for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.

Uncover, and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside.

Pour the wine (or reserved marinade in my case) into the casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 20 to 25 minutes (I simmered mine for closer to 45 minutes), or until the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. Remove the chicken to a side dish.

(Note:  This is where I strained the extra veggies out of the cooking liquid.  See my notes in the headnote above.)

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for 1 to 2 minutes, skimming off fat. Then raise the heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Correct seasoning. Remove from heat, and discard bay leaf.

Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (beurre manie). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to the simmer, stirring and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

Arrange the chicken in a casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it and baste with the sauce. If the dish is not to be served immediately, film the top of the sauce with stock or dot with small pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered for no longer than 1 hour or cool, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Shortly before serving, bring the casserole to a simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is heated through.

Serve from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with sprigs of parsley. 

Brown-Braised Onions:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
• 18 to 24 peeled white onions, about 1-inch in diameter
• 1/2 cup brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
• Salt and pepper
• Medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon thyme tied in cheesecloth

When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Braise them as follows: Pour in the stock, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 15 to 20 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.

Bake them as follows: Transfer the onions and their sauteing fat to a shallow baking dish or casserole just large enough to hold them in 1 layer. Set uncovered in upper third of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 40 to 50 minutes, turning them over once or twice. They should be very tender, retain their shape and be a nice golden brown. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.

Sauteed Mushrooms:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
• 1 to 2 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions, optional
• Salt and pepper

Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Toss the shallots or green onions, if using, with the mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Sauteed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving. 

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A Delicious Adventure in Helen, GA

This past weekend, Brad and I took a quick vacation getaway to one of our favorite little mountain towns - Helen, GA.  We fell in love with the German charm and easy-going atmosphere of this quaint community during our first visit there last year (see my post HERE) and have been wanting to go back ever since.  Sometimes, all you need is a few days of rest, relaxation and a tad bit of mountain adventure to recharge your batteries!  We had a TON of fun!

And you know what?  As it turns out, Helen, GA is a great place for a foodie to explore.  I love traveling to different places and checking out the local specialties, and there's no shortage in Helen.  Between the old-time general stores (the Old Sautee Store was my favorite!), farmers markets, fudge shoppes, Hofer's German Bakery, Jumpin' Goat Coffee Roasters, Nacoochee Grill, Nacoochee Village Tavern, and the Nora Mill Granary, there's delicious food around every turn...literally.

It's funny how my idea of a perfect souvenir has changed over the years.  Practically every souvenir we bought was somehow food-related, of course!  While there, we picked up:

• White Speckled Grits from Nora Mill Granary
• Yellow Cornmeal from Nora Mill Granary
• Local Wildflower Honey
• Tupelo Honey
• Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans from Jumpin' Goat
• A really cool Burlap Coffee Sack from Jumpin' Goat
• Wine from Habersham Winery
• Fresh Mississippi Mud & Almond Joy Fudge
• Assorted pastries from Hofer's Bakery (Two Words:  Apple Fritters!)
• "Farmer's Cheese" from the Old Sautee Store

Here are some more pics from the weekend (all taken with my trusty little iPhone):

Boiled peanuts in the making at a rustic farmers market

Fresh honey

An old barn we discovered on a walk through the woods with our dog, Hannah...

 

A little comic relief on that same walk through the woods.  It's hard to get Brad to pose for a picture without being silly in at LEAST one!

Antlers in a window

Goodies at Hofer's Bakery...If you ever go, you absolutely MUST try their Apple Fritters.  They alone are worth the drive to Helen...no kidding, folks.

That night back at the cabin, we built a cozy fire.  And, no fire would be complete without s'mores!  :)

While there, we hiked around a lake, which was beautiful.  I think Hannah had even more fun on this vacation than Brad and me!

Hiking around the lake...

 

Jumpin' Goat Coffee Roasters is a great coffee shop, with lots of fun things to browse through.  I found a really cool burlap coffee sack, and their chocolate covered coffee beans are quite addictive.  This is where I found the Tupelo honey...aka "liquid gold."

This must be the jumping goat!

Next door to Jumpin' Goat, the Nora Mill Granary offers so many wonderful products...White and yellow grits, cornmeal, whole wheat bread flour, poppy seeds, flax seeds, biscuit mixes, assorted preserves, honey, buckwheat flour, rye flour, porridge, kitchen toys, cookware, the list goes on and on...

Inside the granary...

Oak barrels inside Habersham Winery...

The Nacoochee Grill and Nacoochee Village Tavern both offer delicious food.  The Nacoochee Grill was our favorite restaurant on our trip last year, so we were excited to visit again this time around.  While the food was still great, the service was painfully slow when we ate there for lunch.  It took close to an hour to get our food!  However, we decided to give them one last shot and ate there again the next night for dinner.  This second visit was MUCH better.  Our food arrived quickly and the service was excellent.  Perhaps they were just having an off-day?  I had the Chicken Pot Pie and Brad chose the Shrimp and Grits. Yum!

The Nacoochee Village Tavern was wonderful!  This was our first visit to the Tavern, and they served up a DELISH pizza piled high with all the trimmings. 

The staff at Nacoochee Village Tavern was also wonderful.  Sean (on the left) and Chase (on the right) even posed for a quick picture in between all that pizza-making.

In conclusion, if you ever have the chance to visit Helen, GA, I highly recommend it.  I'm sure that Brad and I will return...hopefully sooner rather than later!

Bon Appetit, my friends!

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Swoon-Inducing Buttermilk Biscuits

I think I've done it...I've finally found a Buttermilk Biscuit recipe that's worthy of passing down to future generations.  With this recipe, Dorie Greenspan creates a flaky, swoon-inducing biscuit that has a wonderfully scrumptious taste.

There's something about homemade-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits that just makes me happy.  They are comforting, easy to make and are guaranteed to make any meal better, if you ask me.  Maybe it's the memories that going through the motions of patting out the dough and cutting the biscuits brings back for me.  When I was little, my grandmother would ask me to cut the biscuits using an upside-down glass as a cutter.  That was always so much fun.

First of all, buttermilk biscuits don't require fancy ingredients, and I bet you already have everything you need sitting in your kitchen.  Don't have buttermilk??  No problem at all...just substitute the buttermilk for regular milk in this recipe and remove the baking soda from the ingredients list.  You'll end up with Dorie's recipe for "Basic Biscuits" which is also fabulous!  

Second, they take no time at all to put together.  You basically put your dry ingredients into a bowl, cut in the butter with a pastry blender, add the buttermilk, and voila!  You've got yourself some delicious dough to work with.

And lastly, this recipe makes about 10-12 biscuits, so unless you're cooking for a large family you'll end up with extras.  There's no problem there either.  The solution?  Simply put the extra biscuits (before baking!) onto a cookie sheet and place them in the freezer.  As soon as they are frozen, seal them up in a plastic bag and keep stored in the freezer.  When you are ready to bake a few more, simply pop them into the oven...still frozen...and add 1-2 minutes onto the normal baking time.  That way, you'll always have biscuits fresh from the oven, because we all know that those right-out-of-the-oven flaky layers just aren't so flaky when reheated the next day.

Click Here for some great biscuit-making tips from Dorie Greenspan!

Bon Appetit, my friends!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Adapted from:  Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (preferably White Lily brand)

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

6 tbsp COLD unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

Directions:Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a bowl. Drop in butter and using fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Using fingertips or pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into dry ingredients until mixture is pebbly. You'll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes and pieces of everything in between - and that's just right.

Pour the buttermilk over the dry ingredients, grab a fork and toss and gently turn the ingredients until you've got a nice soft dough. Now reach into the bowl with your hands and give the dough a quick gentle kneading - 3 or 4 turns should be enough to bring everything together.

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Dust the top of the dough very lightly with flour and pat the dough out with your hand or roll it until 1/2 inch high. Don't worry if its not completely even. Light touch is more important than accuracy.

Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out as many biscuits as you can. Try to cut the biscuits close to one another so you get the most you can out of this first round. By hand or with a small spatula, transfer the biscuits to the baking sheet. Gather together the scraps, working as little as possible, pat to a 1/2 inch thickness and cut as many additional biscuits as you can; transfer them to the sheet.

Bake the biscuits for 14 to 18 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden brown. Transfer to a serving basket.

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Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tonight, I write this post with a very heavy heart.  There's a light rain falling outside, which unfortunately matches the sad mood around here.  It's been about a week since my last post, and I apologize for that.  The truth is, I just honestly haven't been up to writing this week.

Those of you who have experienced the joy that a dog can bring into your life will understand better than most.  On Valentine's Day, my sweetheart of a cocker spaniel, Lady, passed away after 13 fun-filled years right by my side.  She was the sweetest dog I've ever known, and I sure do miss that little pup so much.  She battled a cancerous tumor on her tummy for quite a while, and she fought it until the very end.  It was just her time, I guess.

This quote by Anatole France says it best:
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

I remember when I first got Lady...It was Christmas of 1998.  That year, I had asked for a cocker spaniel.  On Christmas morning, while I didn't open a box with a puppy inside, I did receive some cash that I could do whatever I wanted with.  We spent the holiday in the Great Smoky Mountains that year, and one place we always visited was The Apple Barn.  A few days after Christmas, I was walking up to the front entrance of The Apple Barn, when what did I see??  A sign posted on the door announcing that they had a new litter of cocker spaniel puppies for sale!  It was meant to be!  I looked at my mom and dad with a glimmer in my eye, and they instantly knew.

I rushed through the door, and asked the first Apple Barn employee I saw where I might find these painfully adorable little puppies.  Let's just say that it was love at first sight, and I very happily left that day with no Christmas money, but with my new floppy-eared best friend.  We've been inseparable ever since.  

Sometimes, baking is like therapy for me.  I can put on my apron, put some ingredients into the bowl of my stand-mixer, whip up something sweet, and it always makes me feel better.  So what did I do this past week?  I baked these amazing Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies.  They were easy, delicious, and contained chocolate...Just what I needed.  

You may have noticed that I love combining chocolate and coconut every chance I get.  It's my favorite sweet flavor combo, so it was an easy decision to make.  I was incredibly happy with the way these cookies came out.  They were a comforting and delicious dessert during a very difficult time.  The coconut flavors are perfectly complemented by the chocolate, and quite frankly, this is probably my new favorite cookie recipe. 

So, here's to Lady.  I sure do miss my sweet girl dearly.

Bon Appetit, my friends.

Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened to room temp

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 tsp. coconut extract

10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels

5 oz. bittersweet chocolate morsels

1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

Combine the flour and baking soda in a medium bowl and whisk together.  Set to the side.

In the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.  Cream these ingredients on medium speed until they are nice and fluffy.  Add the salt, egg and coconut extract.  Mix on low speed until well combined.

Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl, and mix on medium speed just until blended...Don't over-mix!

Next, add the semisweet and bittersweet chocolates, along with the shredded coconut to the cookie dough.  Stir together well.

Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop out the dough and form into uniform balls.  Place the balls of cookie dough on the baking sheet, making sure not to crowd the cookies.

Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven, and bake the cookies for 13-14 minutes, or until they are a nice golden brown around the edges.

Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.  They are best a little warm, right out of the oven!

Repeat the baking process with the remaining cookie dough, until it's all gone.

***********

Checking out her new little sis...

 

 Who eventually wasn't so "little" anymore  :)

 

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Lemony Salmon with Cherry Tomato Couscous

Some dishes just beg to be eaten.  This is one of those meals.

Upon first glance, the bright red cherry tomatoes, vibrant green cilantro, and pan seared salmon fillets nestled on top invite you in for a visual treat.  After you get past the pretty colors popping off the plate, the citrusy aromas from the lemon find their way to your nose.

Sounds pretty great, right?

Well, this dish is a treat both to look at and eat.  After all, the old adage rings true - We do indeed eat first with our eyes.

The flavor combinations here are splendid - whole wheat couscous, paprika, fresh ginger, red onion, lemon, cherry tomato, and cilantro are excellent partners for salmon, as it turns out.  This dish is bright and refreshing, while satisfying at the same time.

It's a healthy meal that will leave you with a full tummy and a happy smile.  :)

Bon Appetit!

Lemony Salmon with Cherry Tomato Couscous

Source:  foodnetwork.com

Adapted from:  Nigella Kitchen:  Recipes from the Heart of the Home, by Nigella Lawson

Ingredients:

• Heaping 1 cup couscous (I used whole wheat couscous)
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh gingerroot
• 1 cup freshly boiled water
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 tablespoon garlic flavored oil, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
• 4 salmon fillets
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

Put the couscous into a heatproof bowl, with 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt), 1/4 teaspoon of the paprika, and all the grated ginger. Give everything a bit of a mix before adding the hot boiled water. Cover the bowl, either with plastic wrap or a plate, and set aside. 

Into another bowl, put the finely chopped onion.


In a wide, shallow dish, big enough to take the salmon fillets later, zest the lemon into the dish.


Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl with the onions.


Add the remaining salt and the paprika to the bowl with the lemon zest and stir in 1 tablespoon garlic flavored oil.


Halve the cherry or grape tomatoes and put them into yet another bowl. Stir in the remaining teaspoon of garlic flavored oil and set aside.


Heat a large frying pan for the salmon fillets. While the pan is getting hot, add the fillets to the dish with the lemon zest and coat both sides with the mixture.


Put the fillets in the hot pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. The fillets should be juicy and have a vivid coral color in the middle, so do check as you cook.


Meanwhile, uncover and fluff the couscous, which should have absorbed all the water. Add the tomatoes with lemony onion mixture and stir with a fork.


Add nearly all of the cilantro to the couscous, and stir it through, then taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed.


Spoon some couscous onto each plate and arrange a salmon fillet alongside. Sprinkle with a little more cilantro as you hand out each plate.

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