Cooking With Wine | 20something cupcakes

Archives For cooking with wine

spring coq au vin blanc.

March 26, 2012 — 10 Comments

This week’s recipe for The Food Matters Project is a twist on the traditional French dish, coq au vin – which means chicken braised in wine.

Yes, I’m a bit of a French food fanatic – so a recipe like this is right up my alley. It definitely falls on the rustic, French countryside area of the map, which might be my favorite place to be. For me, this type of French cooking equals plenty of good wine, crusty baguettes, and long, relaxed summer days.

Or in this case, spring days.

Though I will at some point be trying Bittman’s recipe in its original form, I couldn’t help myself from turning this into a spring vegetable-orgy. I usually describe my changes in words and link to the original recipe, but because I made so many changes, I wrote out my version for you below.

In Food Matters Project asparagus, carrots, chicken, cooking with wine, french recipes, leeks, mushrooms, new potatoes, pearl onions, peas, spring recipes

beef bourguignon.

January 24, 2011 — 1 Comment

If you know anything about Julia Child, chances are you’ve heard of this recipe. Whether by way of the adorable girlie/foodie memoir Julie and Julia or simply a natural affinity for cooking à la français, this dish is a classic in its own right – and definitely one to try at home, if you haven’t already.

You’ll be surprised at how easy this dish is to pull off – especially if you start with Ina Garten’s version like I did. I compared it to Julia Child’s original recipe and found them to be basically similar, though Julia’s version does involve quite a few more steps. When I make the original, which I plan on doing soon, I’ll be sure to compare the details and the results. One of the differences I noticed was that after browning the meat, Julia puts it back into the pot with the cooked bacon and a bit of flour, in an effort to make the crust even thicker and more delicious – definitely looking forward to that!

Another difference between the two is the way in which the dish is served. While Julia says that boiled potatoes are traditionally served on the side, Ina keeps it simple with a crusty sliced bread. The bread gets my vote; it adds to the rustic/French-countryside vibe of the dish, and it’s perfect for sopping up all of the incredible broth. And trust me – you won’t want to waste a single drop. The wine and Cognac make magic in that pot, and a normally-tough cut of meat is transformed into something effortlessly tender and flavorful.

Just one more reason for me to obsess over anything-and-everything French.

Beef Bourguignon

Adapted from Ina Garten

1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/2 cup Cognac
1 bottle good red wine, preferably French {like a Burgundy, Bordeaux, or Pinot Noir}
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions {I forgot to buy these, and omitted – but I’m sure they would have been wonderful}
1 pound fresh mushrooms – stems discarded, caps thickly sliced

For serving:

Country bread or Sourdough, toasted or grilled and rubbed with garlic clove
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.

Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.

Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back, and ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol {I’d never done this – so fun! Nothing to be afraid of – just put the match near the pot and it will flame up for a minute or so and then go out on its own}. Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. Sauté the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.

To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley.

In Main Dishes beef, carrots, cooking with wine, french recipes, ina garten, julia child, mushrooms

chicken piccata.

May 12, 2010 — 6 Comments

Have you ever heard of engagement chicken? It’s really just a roast chicken – but it acquired the nickname when a few women reported that after making it for their boyfriends, they were soon asked to be married.

Sound strange?

I believe it. The way to a man’s heart, after all, is through his stomach.

Some believe that the reason the roasted chicken prompted the men to propose was more because of the presentation of the dish. You know, it looks fancy sitting there on the table – almost like a turkey on Thanksgiving. Light some candles, throw on a cute little apron and stilettos, and now you’re looking like a wife. A damned good one. Sure, the chicken tastes good, but it may have been this wifey-like picture you just created that tricked caused your boyfriend to want to take the plunge.

Hey, if that’s the case – nice work!

I just happen to think this chicken piccata recipe can give that engagement chicken a run for its’ money. Because this one has a whole lot of taste going on, in addition to any of that ambiance you want to throw in. I’ve never met a man {or a woman, for that matter} that didn’t like chicken piccata – or some combination of lemon, chicken, and pasta. This one is the best I’ve ever made; a touch of heavy cream thickens the sauce, in turn making it richer and more luxurious than any standard version.

Chicken Piccata

Recipe courtesy of the Pioneer Woman

4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
¾ cups low sodium chicken broth
2 whole lemons
3/4 cup heavy cream
Chopped fresh parsley
Capers (optional)
1 pound angel hair pasta {I use Smart Taste – tastes like regular but has all the nutrients of whole wheat}

Have a pot of water simmering for the pasta.

If chicken breasts are overly thick, pound until slightly flattened. I usually just throw a piece of plastic wrap over the chicken and give them a few whacks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry two of the chicken breasts at one time until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side; a little longer if breasts are thicker, a little shorter if breasts are thinner. Remove to a plate (cover in foil to help keep warm), then add the other 2 tablespoons each of butter and olive oil. Fry the other two breasts until golden, monitoring the oil/butter mixture to make sure it doesn’t burn. Decrease heat as needed!

After removing the chicken, have the heat on medium to medium-low. Pour in wine and chicken broth, and squeeze in the juice of two lemons. Whisk the sauce, scraping the bottom of the pan. Allow sauce to cook and bubble and thicken until reduced by about half. This takes a little while – I probably could have reduced it a bit more, but I think I got antsy – and it was still perfectly delicious. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper as it’s cooking.

Reduce heat to low and pour in cream. Whisk together and allow to cook for a couple of minute until sauce thickens. Taste and adjust seasonings or other ingredients. Expect the sauce to have a real tang to it; counter it with a little more broth and cream if it’s too strong! Sprinkle in some chopped parsley and stir.

Right at the end, cook angel hair until al dente—do not overcook!

With tongs, place a medium-sized mound of pasta on a plate. Place a cooked chicken breast beside it, then spoon sauce over the chicken and the pasta. The sauce is strong, so no need to drown it. Sprinkle a little minced parsley over the top.

Serves 4.

In Dinner Party Worthy, Main Dishes capers, chicken, cooking with wine, date night, heavy cream, lemon, pasta, pioneer woman

chicken with forty cloves of garlic.

April 20, 2010 — 7 Comments

This is one of the meals that I’ve been wanting to cook for *who knows* how long. I first saw the recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, but over time I’ve seen different versions pretty much everywhere. All I really have to say is, if the idea of 40 cloves of garlic scares you…

Don’t let it.

Please. Because the cooking of the garlic mellows it out in such an unbelievable way – I honestly wish I’d put more in there. And the sauce – the sauce is just so absurdly decadent and delicious – and it’s not even all that bad for you, considering you’re only using a couple tablespoons of cream. The rest is just white wine and a splash of cognac – and if you’ve never cooked with cognac, you simply must. It brings such an amazing dimension to the dish. And really, the shining star here is also the chicken itself – which can be tricky to do, since chicken doesn’t have much flavor on its own. Leaving the bone in helps with flavor, of course, and the brown-then-braise method is always a surefire way to ensure perfectly moist chicken. Still, I think this may just be the moistest chicken I’ve ever had.

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
2 (3 to 3 1/2-pound) chickens, cut into eighths (I used 1 whole chicken and 2 more breast halves)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
3 tablespoons Cognac, divided
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 loaf good bread, I used French bread

*Don’t be afraid of the whole chicken! If you don’t want to cut it yourself, you can usually find it already cut and packaged in the grocery store, and if not, you can ask the butcher to do it for you. And as far as this sauce goes, it is the most heavenly stuff in the world – so if you’re a sauce person {like I am} you may want to double the wine, heavy cream, and flour so you can double to sauce! It’s that good.

For the garlic, I’ve actually been buying those big containers of pre-peeled garlic. I’ve heard they can sometimes be more fresh than the heads, as those heads can sometimes sit there in the grocery store forever. So, I just counted out 40 cloves from there. If, however, you want to do it the old-fashioned way, use this trick to peel them easier: Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel away.

Brown your chicken:

Dry the chicken really well with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. I like to salt it as far in advance as possible to get the chicken more flavorful (and I do this with all meats). I also take my chicken out of the fridge about 30 minutes to an hour before I want to start cooking so that it comes to room temperature, which helps the meat to cook evenly and keeps it nice ‘n moist.

Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven {I use my Le Creuset, of course} over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don’t want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Remove the last chicken to the plate and add all of the garlic to the pot.

Now for the {love} sauce:

This is where it gets fun! Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the Cognac and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot (I’m not sure why this extra step is necessary, but I always listen to Ina!). Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of Cognac and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.

I served this with good French bread and roasted broccolini.You can really serve it with anything – rice, pasta, roasted potatoes would be nice – but really you’re just looking for something else to soak up more of that delicious love sauce.

Yum.