Subject: Coq au Vin
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Thu Oct 25 2001 - 08:03:38 EDT
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F O O D F U N N Y
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Here's another rib-tickler from "DRSPAGHETI":
A nervous young minister, new to the church, told his flock, "For my
text today, I will take the words, 'And they fed five men with five
thousand loaves of bread and two thousand fishes.'"
A member of the flock raised his hand and said, "That's not much of a
trick. I could do that."
The minister didn't respond. However, the next Sunday he decided to
repeat the text. This time he said it properly, "And they fed five
thousand men with five loaves of bread and two fishes."
Smiling, the minister said to the noisy man, "Could you do that, Mr.
Perkins?"
The member of the flock said, "I sure could."
"How would you do it?" asked the minister.
"With all the food I had left over from last Sunday!" responded Mr.
Perkins.
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T O D A Y ' S R E C I P E
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This is one of the most fabled of classic French dishes, the mere
mention of which used to inspire awe in the typical home cook who
assumed it was beyond their capability. Then along came Julia Child
and showed us all how easy it was, and American kitchens haven't been
the same since.
All recipes this week are adapted from "Mastering the Art of French
Cooking, Volume One" by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck
(Knopf, 2001, 40th anniversary edition)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375413405/worldwiderecipes
Coq au Vin
4 oz (100 g) slab bacon, cut into 1/4x1/4x1-inch
(5x5x25 mm) pieces
1 frying chicken, cut into serving pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) cognac
3 cups (750 ml) full-bodied red wine such as Burgundy,
Beaujolais, or Chianti
1-2 cups (250-500 ml) beef stock
2 tsp (10 ml) tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/4 tsp (1 ml) dried thyme
1 bay (laurel) leaf
2 Tbs (30 ml) butter
12-18 small onions, peeled
1/2 lb (225 g) mushrooms
For the beurre manie:
3 Tbs (45 ml) all-purpose flour
2 Tbs (30 ml) butter at room temperature
Fresh parsley sprigs for garnish
Saute the bacon in a large, heavy pot over moderate heat until it is
lightly browned. Remove and reserve the bacon. Season the chicken
with salt and pepper and brown it on all sides in the rendered bacon
fat. Return the bacon to the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer covered
for 10 minutes. Add the cognac and ignite carefully with a match,
shaking the pot back and forth gently until the flame subsides. Add
the wine, enough stock to just cover the chicken, and stir in the
tomato paste, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 30
minutes. Meanwhile, heat half the butter in a skillet over moderate
heat and saute the onions until lightly browned. Reduce the heat and
simmer covered for 20 minutes, until the onions are tender. Saute the
mushrooms in the remaining butter and set aside. Make the beurre
manie by blending the flour and butter until smooth. Remove the
chicken from the pot and raise the heat. Skim off as much fat as
possible and boil the sauce until it has reduced to about 2 cups (500
ml). Whisk the beurre manie into the sauce and boil until it has
thickened slightly. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter,
surround with the onions and mushrooms, and spoon the sauce over all.
Garnish with parsley sprigs. Serves 4 to 6.
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