19 February 2012 Julia Child’s Coq au Vin Revisited

Julia Child’s Coq au Vin Revisited

February 19, 2012 By

Last night, I held a small dinner party for a friend’s birthday.  Since I’ve known him, he’s talked about his mother’s coq au vin, so I decided to fix the traditional French dish for his birthday.  In French, coq au vin means “rooster with wine”).  It’s a rustic French braised dish of chicken cooked in wine, lardons, mushrooms, and garlic.

For guidance, I turned to the coq au vin queen, Julia Child.  The following recipe takes inspiration from her popular version, featured in her From Julia Child’s Kitchen.

Ingredients:

  • 5 slices thick cut bacon, roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 pounds chicken parts (thighs, legs and breasts), thoroughly dried
  • 1/4 cup Cognac
  • 1/2 tsp each thyme, salt and pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 20 pearl onions, peeled
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • 2 cups red wine (preferably Burgundy Pinot Noir)
  • 2 cups veal stock
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 pound fresh white button mushrooms, quartered and sautéed in 2 Tbsp butter

Directions

  1. Sauté bacon in oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until lightly browned, 5-8 minutes.  Remove bacon lardons to a paper toweled dish for later use, leaving bacon fat in the pot.
  2. Add the chicken to the bacon fat over medium-high heat, and brown on all sides.  You may need to do this in two batches so the pot isn’t crowded.  Pour in the Cognac, shake pan a few seconds until bubbling hot, then ignite Cognac with a long lighter or a match. Let flame a minute, swirling pan by its handle to burn off alcohol then extinguish with pan cover.
  3. Season chicken pieces with thyme, salt and pepper.  Add bay leaves.  Place onions around the chicken. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.
  4. Uncover pan and sprinkle on the flour, turning chicken and onions so flour is absorbed.  Cook 3 to 4 minutes more, turning once or twice.
  5. Add the wine, the stock, lardons, garlic, tomato paste and mushrooms to the pan.  Cover and simmer slowly 45 minutes.
  6. Serve with buttered wide egg noodles.

Serves 6.

Notes:  I highly suggest you make the dish through step 4 the morning or the day before you want to serve it.  The flavors need to develop for best results.  To reheat, place in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes or simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

 

Filed Under: American, Chicken, Entrees, French, Mushrooms, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,
18 February 2012 Shrimp and Andouille Etouffée

Shrimp and Andouille Etouffée

February 18, 2012 By

In honor of Mardi Gras on February 21st, I’m offering this simple and delicious etouffée recipe.  In French, the word “étouffée” means “smothered”.  In Louisiana, food that is “smothered” is usually simmered in a small amount of liquid creating a thickened sauce that is served over rice.

The base for any good etouffée is the ‘holy trinity’, a combination of celery, onion and bell pepper, that’s cooked in a dark roux made of butter, oil and flour.  Etouffée can be made with crawfish, shrimp, chicken, and/or spicy sausage.

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 Andouille sausage links (about ½ pound), cut into bite size pieces
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves, halved
  • 1 12-ounce bottle of medium-bodied beer
  • 1 cup bottled clam juice
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. paprika
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 pound medium shrimps, shelled, deveined and cooked
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

  1. Add oil to a heavy Dutch oven set over medium heat.  Add the sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pot and set aside for later use, keeping the rendered fat in the pot on medium heat.
  2. Add the butter to the hot fat in the pot and when completely melted, add the flour.  Whisk the flour into the fat to incorporate and create a roux.  Cook the roux, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until it is the color of peanut butter, about 10 minutes.
  3. Place the celery, bell pepper, onion and garlic in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse to roughly chop, about 1 minute.
  4. Add the processed vegetables to the roux in the pot and stir with a wooden spoon to fully combine.  Cook the mixture over medium heat for 5 – 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
  5. Add the beer, clam juice and broth to the vegetable mixture and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen up all the brown bits.  Return the sausage to the pot, add the spices, bay leaves and simmer for about 1 hour.
  6. Add the shrimp to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes to warm through.
  7. Serve the etouffée over white rice and garnish with parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

 

 

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Entrees, French, Seafood, Vegetables Tagged With: , ,
9 February 2012 BBQ Pulled Pork over Seared Scallops

BBQ Pulled Pork over Seared Scallops

February 9, 2012 By

For my birthday, my mom gave me a copy of The Art of Living According to Joe Beef.  Joe Beef  is one of Montreal’s culinary gems and its book reads like a gastronomical novel – it’s just beautiful in content and images.

One of the recipes I knew I had to immediately try is the BBQ Pulled Pork over Seared Scallops.  Yes, it’s a bit odd in concept.  No, you haven’t made a better dish than this one at home – guaranteed.

I served this dish as a main course but I’ll have it in my back pocket as an amazing starter for upcoming dinner parties.

Pulled Pork Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsp. paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. each salt, pepper, granulated sugar
  • One 4-5 pound pork shoulder (sometimes called Boston Butt)
  • ¼ cup yellow mustard
  • ½ cup water
  • 4-5 jumbo scallops per person
  • Canola oil for frying
  • Sea salt and pepper

Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients:

  • 7 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1 cup butter
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice

World’s Best BBQ Sauce, Ever, heated

Pulled Pork Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, salt, pepper and sugar.  Slather the pork with the yellow mustard then coat with the spice mixture.  Place pork in a large Dutch oven and add the water.  Put the pork in the oven for five hours.  After the initial five hours, check for doneness every hour, covering the meat with aluminum foil if it becomes dry or overly browned, until it’s cooked for nine hours total.  The meat should be fork tender.
  3. Allow meat to cool for 15 minutes then, using two forks, pull it off into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl (can be made a day ahead of serving if refrigerated then warmed in hot BBQ sauce).

Hollandaise Sauce Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.  Allow to cool for 3 minutes.
  2. In a tall container, like a pitcher, add the egg yolks.  Using an immersion blender, add the butter to the yolks in a slow, steady stream until the sauce thickens and is emulsified.
  3. Add the cayenne pepper, the salt and the lemon juice.  Keep sauce at room temperature until ready to use.  Makes about ½ cup.

Plating Directions:

  1. In a large cast iron or non-stick pan over high heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering hot.  Add the scallops and cook for two minutes on each side.  Remove onto a paper towel.
  2. For each scallop you’re using: in a medium bowl, add one tablespoon of pork and two tablespoons of hot BBQ sauce.  Combine meat and sauce well.
  3. Add a tablespoon of Hollandaise sauce per scallop on a plate (1-2 for a starter or 4-5 for an entrée).  Top the sauce with a scallop.  Top each scallop with a tablespoon of BBQ-sauced pulled pork.

Notes:  The pulled pork in its state at the end of step 3 of “Pulled Pork Directions” can be used in a multitude of ways when combined with BBQ sauce: pulled pork sandwich, as a topping for pizza, in tacos, etc…

 

Filed Under: American, Canadian, Eggs, Entrees, Pork, Seafood, Starters Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
4 February 2012 Easy and Elegant 4-Course Valentine’s Day Dinner

Easy and Elegant 4-Course Valentine’s Day Dinner

February 4, 2012 By

Need some inspiration for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day (or any old day)?  Here are four, simple-to-make dishes along with wine pairings that are sure to show your loved one(s) how much you care.

BONUS – breakfast:  Strawberry and Nutella-Stuffed Crepes

Whichever dish you decide to prepare for your loved one(s) this Valentine’s Day, I hope your meal is paired with love.

Cheers,

Veronique

 

Filed Under: American, Beef, Breakfast, Canadian, Cheese, Desserts, Entrees, French, Fruits, Other Neat Things, Soups, Starters Tagged With: , , ,
10 January 2012 Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze

Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze

January 10, 2012 By

I came home from a business trip Saturday night to find my guy having planned meals for every night this week.  How great is that!!?

For dinner last night, he prepared salmon on the grill with this really great glaze on it that was inspired by a recipe by Bobby Flay.  He reserved some of the glaze and drizzled it over steamed green beans for a tasty and simple side dish.

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped ginger
  • Vegetable oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each

Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the brown sugar, maple syrup and butter. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger.  Let cool.
  2. Preheat grill to medium heat.  Brush salmon skin with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Place the salmon skin side down on the grill. Brush some of the glaze over the salmon fillets.  Grill for 10 to 12 minutes to medium doneness, with the lid of the grill closed.

Serves 2.

Notes:  You’ll have some glaze leftover.  Brush additional glaze over the grilled salmon and drizzle over steamed vegetables or boiled potatoes.

 

 

Filed Under: American, Asian, Entrees, Fish, Maple Syrup Tagged With: , ,
14 December 2011 Stufato di Vitello – Veal Stew

Stufato di Vitello – Veal Stew

December 14, 2011 By

It is that time of year when braised meats and stews just sound wonderful.  This week, my local grocery store had beautiful cubed veal available, so I created this simple-to-prepare, make-ahead, one-pot stew that is great reheated on a week night but elegant enough to serve at a dinner party.

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 pounds boneless veal shoulder, cut into 2” pieces
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • ½ tsp. each oregano, salt and pepper
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 pound Cremini mushrooms, quartered
  • 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • ½ cup heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. In a shallow dish sprinkle the flour over the veal cubes then coat the meat lightly.
  3. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat until it is nearly smoking.  Season floured meat with salt and pepper, add to hot pot and brown on all sides, about 3 minutes.  If your pot isn’t wide enough to accommodate all the meat in one layer, brown in two batches.  Place cooked veal on a platter and reserve for later use.
  4. In the same pot the meat was seared in, add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until softened and slightly golden, about 4 minutes.  Add the mushrooms to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.  If the onion-mushroom mixture becomes dry while cooking, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and lower the heat to medium.
  5. Add the Dijon mustard, the oregano, the broth and the wine to the onion-mushroom mixture and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
  6. Return the veal and its juices to the pot, add the cream, stir well to combine all the ingredients and place in the oven.  Cook for 3 hours.

Serves 4.

Notes:  The stew can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.  Serve over white rice or egg noodles.

Filed Under: American, Entrees, French, Italian, Mushrooms, Veal Tagged With: , ,
6 December 2011 Fig Jam and Cambozola Grilled Cheese

Fig Jam and Cambozola Grilled Cheese

December 6, 2011 By

Cambozola blue cheese has the rich flavor of Gorgonzola with the lovely gooey texture of Camembert.  The off-white interior offers striking blue veins.  It’s a cheese that’s growing in popularity because of its creamy texture and buttery, slightly tangy flavors.

This grilled cheese sandwich uses fig jam to compliment the delicious sharpness of the blue cheese.  The mayonnaise adds to the comfort level of an already comforting dish.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp. mayonnaise
  • 2 slices white sandwich bread
  • 1 Tbsp. fig jam
  • 3 thin slices of Cambozola cheese

Directions:

  1. Heat up Panini press or a grill pan over high heat.
  2. Spread 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise on one side of each bread slice.
  3. Spread the fig jam on the un-mayonnaised side of one bread slice.
  4. Arrange the Cambozola slices over the jam.
  5. Top the Cambozola with the un-mayonnaised side of the second bread slice so that both mayoed sides are on the outside and the goodies are on the inside.
  6. Place the sandwich in the Panini press and grill for 3 minutes.  Alternatively, place the sandwich on the grill pan (still on high heat) and top with the weight of multiple pans or a pan with a 2-3 pound weight in it and cook 1 1/2 minutes per sides.
  7. Transfer sandwich to a cutting board and cut sandwich diagonally using a serrated knife.

1 serving.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Entrees, Sandwiches Tagged With: , , ,
29 November 2011 Peanut Butter, Banana and Nutella Panini

Peanut Butter, Banana and Nutella Panini

November 29, 2011 By

My grandma used to make my sister and me peanut butter and banana grilled sandwiches in a cast iron contraption when we were kids.  This contraption, an early version of a Panini press, had long handles that could be flipped on the stovetop until the bread was perfectly browned and gorgeous.  I miss those days and decided to sort of recreate the sandwich using my modern day Panini press and a little twist – Nutella!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp. softened butter
  • 2 slices whole wheat bread (I like oatmeal and whole wheat for this)
  • 2 Tbsp. chunky peanut butter
  • 1 Tbsp. Nutella
  • ½ ripe banana, sliced

Directions:

  1. Heat up Panini press or a grill pan over high heat.
  2. Spread 1 teaspoon of butter on one side of each bread slice.
  3. Spread the peanut butter on the unbuttered side of one bread slice.
  4. Spread Nutella on the unbuttered side of the second bread slice then arrange the banana slices over Nutella.
  5. Top the Nutella/banana slice with the peanut butter slice so that the buttered side of each bread slice is on the outside and the goodies are on the inside.
  6. Place the sandwich in the Panini press and grill for 3 minutes.  Alternatively, place the sandwich on the grill pan (still on high heat) and top with the weight of multiple pans or a pan with a 2-3 pound weight in it and cook 1 1/2 minutes per sides.
  7. Transfer sandwich to a cutting board and cut sandwich diagonally using a serrated knife.

1 serving.

Filed Under: American, Breakfast, Canadian, Chocolate, Desserts, Entrees, Fruits, Sandwiches Tagged With: , , ,
23 October 2011 Happy Lazy Sunday, Post Fondue Night

Happy Lazy Sunday, Post Fondue Night

October 23, 2011 By

Last night, I had some friends over for fondue night.  We don’t fondue as often as we should because when we do, it’s a great time.  There’s no better way to stretch out a meal than to fondue.

I served a cheese fondue made using Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar from Vermont and Victory Headwaters.  Sharp cheese and beer – winning!  For dinner, I typically do a fondue pot with beefy, wine broth for shrimp, chicken and cheese cubes and a pot with hot oil for beef tenderloin.  The dinner fondues are served with three dipping sauces, this time: Sriracha and maple mayo, a Dijon mustard and tarragon mayo and a garlic mayo.  Just a fun concept and please ping me if you’d like fondue tips.

Today is football day at our home and we usually take it super easy on Sunday afternoons.  This means that I typically make dinner in the morning so we can just eat in front of the television later.  Today, I made my Grandma’s amazing meat sauce that we’ll eat with spaghetti.  I double the sauce recipe as it freezes beautifully.

Hope you’re having as great a weekend as I’m having!

Cheers,

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Beef, Canadian, Cheese, Entrees, French, Other Neat Things, Pasta, Starters Tagged With: , , , , , ,
17 October 2011 Andouille and Crawfish Etouffée

Andouille and Crawfish Etouffée

October 17, 2011 By

When we lived in Ft Lauderdale, we often lunched at a small Cajun restaurant called Creolina’s.  The food was amazing and one of my favorite dishes was the crawfish etouffée they served over plain white rice.  This version calls for Andouille sausage as I like its porky flavor with the seafood.

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 Andouille sausage links (about ½ pound), cut into bite size pieces
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 large garlic cloves, halved
  • 1 12-ounce bottle of medium-bodied beer
  • 1 cup bottled clam juice
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. paprika
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 pound crawfish tails, cooked
  • 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

  1. Add oil to a heavy Dutch oven set over medium heat.  Add the sausage links and cook for 2-3 minutes until browned.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pot and set aside for later use, keeping the rendered fat in the pot on medium heat.
  2. Add the butter to the hot fat in the pot and when completely melted, add the flour.  Whisk the flour into the fat to incorporate and create a roux.  Cook the roux, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until it is the color of peanut butter, about 10 minutes.
  3. Place the celery, bell pepper, onion and garlic in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse to roughly chop, about 1 minute.
  4. Add the processed vegetables to the roux in the pot and stir with a wooden spoon to fully combine.  Cook the mixture over medium heat for 5 – 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
  5. Add the beer, clam juice and broth to the vegetable mixture and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen up all the brown bits.  Return the sausage to the pot, add the spices, bay leaves and simmer for about 1 hour.
  6. Add the crawfish tails to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes to warm through.
  7. Serve the etouffée over white rice and garnish with parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

Notes:  If you have crawfish in the shells, simply remove the tails, then add the shells to a pot with 4 cups of water.  Simmer for 30 – 45 minutes, then strain the crawfish juices.  Use 1 cup of the crawfish juice in place of the clam juice.  Don’t have crawfish?  Simply replace with shrimps!

Filed Under: American, Entrees, French, Pork, Seafood Tagged With: , , , ,
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