When we were dating, all the gift giving holidays were a big thing. I think we tried to out do each other. Our first Christmas together, I bought the new boyfriend (the now Hubs), an expensive watch that I could barely afford. (I did not chop off my hair ala “The Gift” but I did max out an over-maxed card.) He bought me a Kitchen Aid mixer. (That probably was the gift that sealed the deal for me.)
As we have aged together after seventeen years of marriage, we really don’t go all out for gifts. In fact, we have a no gift policy (that we often break).
Around the first of this month, The Hubs presented me with a beautiful 7-quart Staub emerald green cocotte. I was over the moon! He reminded me over and over that this was NOT an early Valentine’s Day present. (Yeah, right.)
We were going to make Boeuf Bourguignon for our inaugural dish, but remember on V-Day when I mentioned he had a surprise for me. Our favorite restaurant was serving “Rosemary & Local Mushroom Beef Bourguignon” for the main course and we didn’t really want to replicate a similar dish on Sunday (no matter how much we love Beouf. )
So, I pulled out my two favorite cookbook authors/editors, Dorie and Ruth, and set about finding something that would be worthy for a first dish in this remarkable pot!
I found a delicious sounding Coconut-Lemongrass Braised Pork in Around my French Table, but we both became reminiscent about Coq au Vin, a dish that The Hubs made me long ago. It was the first meal he cooked for me.
Coq au Vin Blanc with Carrots
based on Coq au Vin from The Gourmet Cookbook10 oz. pearl onions
10 oz. thick cut bacon
1 (3 1/2 lb.) chicken, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 8 serving pieces
3/4 t. fine sea salt
1/4 t. fresh ground pepper
1 (4-inch) piece celery
6 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 fresh thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 c. dry white wine
3/4 c. chicken stock
16oz. baby carrots
2 T. olive oil
1 lb. sliced mushroom
1/4 c. Cognac
3 T. flour
1/12 T. butter softenedBring a three quart sauce pan of water to a boil.
Wash onions. Blanch for 3 minutes and then remove to ice water. (This makes peeling them easier. ) Drain and peel.
Cut bacon into 1/4 inch strips. Add bacon to boiling water and boil for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to another cold water bath. Drain bacon and pat dry with a paper towel.
Now, cook bacon in the bottom of your Dutch oven until it is browned but not crisp and most of the fat has been rendered (about 8 minutes). Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Reserve two tablespoons of the bacon fat. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown in the bottom of the Dutch oven in the 2 T. of bacon fat. Turn chicken occasionally so it is browned on all sides (about 6-10 minutes). Transfer pieces to a plate.
Add onions to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally until onions are browned, about 10 minutes. While onions are browning, make a bouquet garni by wrapping the celery, parsley, thyme and bay leaf in a cheesecloth and tying with kitchen string. Add the bacon back to the Dutch oven and stir in wine and stock. Add carrots and bouquet garni, bring to a simmer. Add chicken. Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.
While chicken is simmering, heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for about 6 minutes (or until mushrooms have released their liquid. Add brandy and cook until liquid is reduced, about 3 minutes.
After chicken is cooked, use a slotted spoon and remove chicken, bacon and vegetables to a warmed serving platter. Discard bouquet garni. Using a fork, make a paste with the softened butter and the flour. (You have just made a beurre manié.) Bring the braising liquid to a simmer and whisk in the beurre manié a little at a time. Simmer, whisking constantly, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, about two minutes. Add mushrooms to sauce.
Season sauce with salt and pepper and spoon over the chicken, then sprinkle with more fresh parsley.
When The Hubs makes it, he uses red wine. I think I prefer this version, especially with the addition of the carrots. Our Coq au Vin Blanc made a delicious post Valentine’s Day meal (with plenty of leftovers).
And, I can’t rave enough about my Staub La Cocotte. It is truly a marvel. The chicken came out tender and juicy and the veggies were just perfect, not too crisp yet not mushy. I am on the hunt for more recipes to utilize my “Not for Valentine’s Day Gift.” If you have any superb Dutch oven recipes, please, please, please share. Shoot me an email or just copy the link in a comment below.
I want to cook with this every day.
Coq au vin is a very rich and filling meal and is perfect for winter days that are cold and we need a good, strong meal to help us cope with them!
Yes, it did help me cope for Monday. But then we had a snow day!!! Joy, joy, joy! So leftovers got me ready for Tuesday, I guess.
I love coq au vin, but don’t make it often because it’s quite time consuming. I love your white wine version.
I streamlined a bit and got it down to just three pots!
Looks delicious. I’ll have to look into that cookbook… I own it but never use it. I guess I have too many cookbooks!
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I use it all the time. Great carrot muffin found there too.
Kudos to your husband on some perfect gifts for you. My man could use a few lessons from yours. 🙂 I think I’d prefer the coq au vin made with white wine over red too. I’lll have to try it next time because yours looks amazing.
I think I like the blanc version better.
I love all of the veggies in this dish. That sauce looks amazing too!
The sauce…..I could just eat the sauce!
We had a no gift policy this year too. I think moving across the country is gift enough! Haha!
I really want to make Boeuf Bourguignon – it’s on my bucket list. This looks amazing too!
So, after the big move, email me and I will send you a great bourguignon recipe. Good luck, Laura. Excited for you!
Love the Valentine Story—-but it’s the meal that is stopping me in my tracks!!! Wow. Double Wow
So, Carol, not as good of story as you can tell. :). I made bread in the pot last night. Amazing!!!!!!! (Sharing soon.)
What a fabulous gift for a household with a “no gift” policy. 🙂 For your first meal, you picked a good one. It’s beautiful and I’m sure it taste as good as it looks!
Yeah, we cheat a lot with the no gift thing. I did come out the winner on this deal.
We have a “no gift” policy too. Except for silly little things. Which can really add up. 😉 Anyway, great dish. I haven’t made coq au vin for ages and ages, and never with white wine. Gotta do this someday soon — thanks.
It’s definitely worth the effort. It’s kept the two of us in meals for about four days…
Hi Debra,
The funniest thing happen yesterday, I was here swooning over your gorgeous Coq au Vin Blanc with Carrots and all of a sudden realized I just had to find a recipe for you to try in your new “ungift” (so absolutely sweet:) Anyway, I got distracted, as often happens when I have cookbooks all over the place and returned empty handed. Of course, I was still thinking about your excitement and story, (again so very sweet:)
So, I’m back today, not totally empty handed because,…today, I stumbled upon this recipe for Easy Cassoulet which I think you should most definitely consider for your next new Dutch Oven meal. Here’s the link. Hope you like it. If not, a traditional Cassoulet would be heart warming too:)
http://frugalanticsrecipes.com/2015/02/easy-cassoulet/
You’re too sweet, Louise. I’m on it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh my gosh! so jealous of that beautiful Staub! It is a gorgeous color as well – You are a lucky lucky girl! The Coq au Vin – looks beautiful and reminds me of the first meal I ever made after I married………well, it WAS the first meal, and it was the best thing………….I wish I had a wonderful pot like that to make it in back then…..maybe then I would have kept cooking! 🙂
Coq au Vin is apparently a very special meal for many!
It looks delicious, definitely worthy of an inauguration! Love your pot too!
I need a recipe for the second go ’round, though. I think that Coconut-Lemongrass Braised Pork will be next.
wow – You got a Staub! Enjoy! Last year I got a Shun Chef knife for Valentines Day and I thought I was going to hyperventilate. I really like this version of Coq au Vin. I’ve made it once with red wine and even though it was delicious, didn’t like the purple chicken. Now, I’ve got to pull out my Dorie cookbook, that lemongrass pork sounds wonderful… how could I have missed it?
Yep, see my reply to Chris. That pork has definitely been on my mind. (I wasn’t found of purple chicken either, but having typed that now, what a great Easter dish that would make! LOL)
HI Debra,
Yes, I’m still thinking about you:) I just had a new visitor to my blog who left a very sweet comment. Of course I just had to do my own visiting and lo and behold, the perfect blog and setting that I know you will LOVE! Wine included. I haven’t left a comment yet but the recipe Mother and Daughter shared was most interesting and requires guess what, a Dutch Oven! You really should check it out! So much more you than me, lol…Here’s the link http://glamorousbite.com/recipes/wine-braised-beef-shoulder-with-root-vegetables/
I hope you don’t mind but I just keep thinking of you and your new “toy.” Enjoy, Debra…
Not at all. Keep the ideas coming!