White Wine Coq au Vin

You know how there are some meals that just seem really untouchable? Like they are so technical and fancy sounding that they are just not within normal human capacity? Hint: they have french names.

Moules Menieres
Boeuf Bourguignon
Souffle
Bouillabaisse
Profiteroles
Croissant
Mousse
Cassoulet
Creme Brulee
Salmon en croute

Funny thing is... expect for maybe the pastry items... these are all pretty easy to make. The french are just f*$!ing with us!

I'll show them!

Coq au vin. Challenge accepted. Here's wikipedia's phonetic interpretation:  [kɔk o vɛ̃] 
The only reason I have any idea what my mouth should do with those letters is because of those three years I wasted in french class in high school.

You're not scaring me, coq au vin. And while I'm at it, being not scared of you and all, I'm going to to switch some things up here. Coq au vin is chicken that is traditionally braised with mushrooms, red wine, and lardons (pork fat). But I had a bottle of unwanted white wine. And I'm not about to eat pork fat straight up like that.

So here you have it, white wine coq au vin. It is SO easy. One pan. 30 minutes. I'm like Rachael Ray, but french-er.

White Wine Coq au Vin
6 servings


1/4 c. EVOO
1 dozen boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/4 c. flour
2 tsp each: dried marjoram, thyme, rosemary, parsley, tarragon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
5 stalks celery, sliced at an angle for fancy points
2 leeks, trimmed, and sliced into coins
1 large white onion, sliced
2 cups baby carrots
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups dry white wine, like a chardonnay
1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped
S&P to taste
a french baguette for dipping

In a ziploc bag, combine flour, herbs, and salt and pepper. Dredge chicken thighs.

Heat EVOO in a large skillet over med-high heat. Yeah, it's a lot of oil. You could use a nonstick pan and use less oil, but then you wouldn't get those crispy bits that you scrape up into the broth. Your choice.

Once oil is smoking hot, place dredged thighs in pan and fry until golden on each side. Meanwhile, prep yo veggies.

Once both sides of the chicken are golden and crispy (~5 minutes each side), remove from pan and place on a plate. Set aside. 

Toss in veggies and let them fry in the chicken bits and soften for 3-4 minutes.

Heat stock and wine until warm (microwave or stove, whatevs)

Pour over veggies. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the chicken bits.

Bring brothy heaven up to a boil, then nestle in the chicken thighs. Reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Taste the broth at this point and add S&P as you see fit. Right before serving, toss in parsley and stir. 

Like I said, serve with lots of french baguette. Eat with a heavy yet inaccurate french accent. 

Eat your heart out, France!

Cashew Slaw

Today I learned one thing: Wine in a bag isn't that good.

I tried the Eco Vino from Trader Joe's in cabernet sauvignon flavor.

Pros:

• 2 bottles of wine in one package
• portability - if you drop it, it won't break!
• $12.99
• awesome little spout that aerates as it pours
• handle?

Cons:

• taste

Deal broken.

Luckily I had dinner to look forward to, cause wine time was hugely disappointing. This one is super flavorful, salty, spicy, sweet, nutty, yummy. Also, healthy! Duh.

Cashew Slaw

six servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 cups broccoli slaw
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 large red pepper, julienned
• 1/2 c. shelled edamame
• 4 green onions, diced
• 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
• 3/4 c. cashews, chopped
• 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter or cashew butter
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 c. seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 2 tsp hot chili sauce

Instructions

• In a large bowl, toss cabbage, broc slaw, carrots, pepper, edamame, green onion, and cilantro

• In a bowl, combine PB, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and hot sauce

almost as good as sriracha

• If you happen to have an almost empty peanut butter jar, take advantage of it!

• Whisk or shake all ingredients well
• Pour dressing over salad
• Toss

• Add chopped nuts right before serving
• Serve with a garnish of lime

You could also add protein like grilled chicken or shrimp to make this a complete meal. I had a side of pan fried gyoza and a cup of miso soup. No wine.

I like cashews for their flavor, but also because you can get these bombtastic Thai lime and chili ones from Trader Joes. I die. They taste like tom yum soup... on a cashew. So... they taste like heaven.

 Oh! I also learned a new trick. Hopefully I'm not the only idiot with this problem. I always buy ginger root and then forget to use the whole thing. It sits in the fruit drawer of the fridge and rots, or gets so soft and soggy I don't want to use it. Apparently you can store ginger in the freezer! Not only does this preserve it but it also keeps it nice and firm for efficient grating! The more you know...

Now, stop drooling and enjoy your weekend.

Wine Butter

If a=awesome and b=awesome, then a+b= really really awesome. At least that was my reasoning with the wine butter that is patiently waiting to be consumed in my fridge.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs, How Sweet It Is. Though she used the butter with bleu cheese biscuits (YUM), I plan on using this butter as a compliment to christmas dinner, spread on toast, cooked with veggies, maybe even with eggs one day! This is definitely a special version of butter that packs a crazy punch of flavor and is perfect for special occasions.

Wine Butter

Ingredients

• 1 bottle pinot noir or your favorite red varietal
• 2 sticks salted butter, softened
• fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

• In a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat, reduce entire bottle of wine to less than 1/2 cup
• This will take about 30 minutes
• Let wine reduction cool to room temp
• Whip softened butter with a fork, drizzle in cooled wine mixture
• This is where it gets tricky. I had to nuke my butter for 10 seconds to get it liquified before the wine would mix. Then place in fridge, set a timer, and whip the mixture every five minutes until you're happy. You're basically emulsifying oil and vinegar here, so have some patience. It works best to use my microwave method then let it set back up in the fridge. Not all of the wine will absorb in to the butter, but that gives the finished product a nice marbled look, so don't worry!
• Season with pepper
• Line a mold with plastic wrap - I used the lid of a butter tray, but you could mold the butter into anything you'd like
• Press in butter and fridge for several hours before unwrapping to serve

full bottle

going...

going ....

going...

gone!

Wine Butter would make a nice take along for any dinner parties or a homemade gift to any foodie friends.

Last night I enjoyed this wine butter mixed with panko and parmesan, stuffed into crimini mushrooms. Shout out to the cutie who put that magical meal together! 

Eat responsibly!