Coq Au Vin Blanc

Don't you love it when something pops into your life unexpectedly like a breath of fresh air, eliciting a rush of excitement and appreciation?

A new grocery store opened up near my house and I feel like I've just made a new best friend.  It's different than any store I've ever been to.  

Founded in Germany, Aldi has been around awhile in the UK, but just debuted in the US.  I was thrilled to find that, much like World Market, Aldi stocks an amazing array of European cheese, chocolates and wine.

It's not large by any means and it is most certainly a "no frills" sort of place, where you bring your own shopping bags and pack groceries yourself.  Shopping carts cost a refundable quarter - an incentive to bring them back to the store rather than leaving them in the parking lot for an attendant to retrieve, and produce is set out in crates, eliminating the need for personnel to set out displays.

The brands are mostly unrecognizable, but if you're not brand loyal and are unafraid of trying something new, I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised.  Major manufacturers of the brands we know and love private label to Aldi.  Try the Cracked Black Pepper whole grain woven wheat crackers...


All of these minimalist strategies translate into prices you just can't beat.  Kitchen staples like eggs, milk and bread, are at least half the cost of conventional grocery stores.  The produce is practically wholesale.  I'm talking baseball size avocados for .43 cents each!  


Their meat is was really impressed me.  Not only are the prices startlingly low, but the quality is fantastic.  

Between Aldi's crazy-low price on bone-in chicken thighs and and the recent gift of an eggplant-colored Le Creuset braiser, I was overcome with the desire to tackle (what I consider to be intimidating) - French cuisine.  A one-pot, warm and savory dish, Coq Au Vin.  

And not in the classic French style.  After last week's double batch of Bolognese, I am all tomatoed out, so I decided to create a Coq Au Vin Blanc, substituting Chardonnay for the traditional Burgundy and omitting tomato paste.

Below is the end result, and it was delicious.  I'm excited to share this recipe with you.

The key to getting a nice crust on the chicken is a good sprinkling of flour after the herbs and seasonings, and plenty of HOT butter and oil in the pan.


 















Laying flavors is key, so when you start with olive oil infused with natural sage, you are sure to achieve a stellar result.

 

 

Coq Au Vin Blanc

 

Ingredients

6 - 8 bone-in chicken thighs
3 celery stalks
1/2 fennel bulb
3 carrots
1 potato - diced
6 garlic cloves
3 shallots
1 jalapeno (optional)
1/4 lb mushrooms
1 C Chardonnay
1 C chicken broth
1/2 C heavy cream
1/2 C peas (optional)
2 T butter
2 T sage olive oil
1 T Dijon mustard 
1/4 C flour
1 t thyme
1 t rosemary
1 t sage
Lawry's seasoned salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat butter and oil in a heavy braiser on medium high heat.  Trim fat from thighs and season both sides generously with Lawry's, dried herbs, fresh ground pepper and flour.

Sear thighs until they develop a golden brown crust on both sides.  Deglaze with Chardonnay and cook down a few minutes.  Add rough chopped vegetables and chicken broth.  Cover and transfer to oven for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Return braiser to stove top.  Remove chicken to a plate and cover.  Bring vegetables and sauce to a boil over medium high heat, just a few minutes, until it begins to reduce and thicken.  Stir in cream Dijon mustard and peas, then simmer a few minutes longer.

Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Maple Bacon and Cranberry Cheese

Today, as I type, I'm listening to the holiday classics.  Nothing soothes my soul like the velvet voices of Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis singing traditional Christmas songs.  Next to Halloween, this is my second favorite time of year, when the air is crisp and cold, and we can huddle indoors beside a blazing fire.

Thanksgiving is behind us, thank goodness, because in our case, it was a bit of a fiasco.  We spent the holiday at the lake with our family and friends.  The weather was beautiful, albeit a bit windy, but the fish were biting...

A half hour before our our gang was due at the home of our friend with the only dining table large enough to accommodate all of us, I spotted my husband on our deck, binoculars in hand, peering out over the water.  Before I could open my mouth, he enthusiastically blurted one word, "Birds!", grabbed his fishing poles and took off running.

Now, on Thanksgiving, I handle the side dishes and Ian handles the turkey.  In this case with in excess of twenty people, two turkeys.  He'd taken off, leaving one turkey in the oven and one on the smoker!  On this day, I was more than busy juggling cheesy scalloped potatoes, cornbread stuffing with chicken apple sausages and caramelized sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts with pancetta and maple vinaigrette.

I don't carve turkeys, that's his job!

By this time golf carts are arriving  in droves to pick up us up, and still, no husband.  A friend who lives in town and had just driven across the bridge delivered the news.  He was out on a boat, across the lake fishing. 

In a collaborative effort, we got the turkeys carved and headed to dinner minus one husband.  

He arrived about an hour later, tail between his legs and a huge smile on his face.  You see, for the past five years the fish have been scarce.  He'd just caught 30+ striped bass in the course of an hour.  It was the best fishing he could remember, and he was elated! 

On the bright side, the skies exploded with color on Thanksgiving night in one of the most spectacular sunsets I've ever seen, I finally learned how to carve a turkey, and, best of all, it looks like a fish fry is in our very near future. 

 

 
On to the task at hand, risotto has always been one of my favorite autumn side dishes, and this particular combination of add-ins, which includes cranberries and maple bacon, creates the perfect flavor profile for celebrating this beautiful season.

One Butternut squash is generally more than necessary for any given recipe.  I freeze the extra cubed squash in a gallon baggie for later use.

 
The key to risotto is layering flavors and constant stirring to achieve that coveted creaminess.  Starting with truffle infused olive oil and butter lends an underlying richness that sets the foundation for a memorable flavor.

Once the rice is nicely toasted and you've added the wine, prepare to give it your undivided attention until the very end.  Keep pushing it around the pan to help with evaporation. The result is well worth the extra effort.

 

Butternut Squash Risotto with Cranberry Cheese and Maple Bacon

Ingredients

 

32 oz chicken broth
1 T butter
1 T Cucuina Valentina White Truffle Olive Oil 
1 C Arborio rice
1 C Chardonnay
3 shallots, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1t dried thyme or 1 T fresh
1/4 t rubbed sage
1 C butternut squash, 1/2 " cubed
4 slices cooked maple bacon, crumbled
4 oz Wensleydale cranberry cheese, crumbled
splash heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste 

Directions

In a stock pot, bring broth to a simmer on a back burner.  Turn flame to low and keep covered.

Heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide skillet until butter just starts to brown.  Add shallots, garlic and a few grinds of pepper and saute until just starting to soften.  

Add butternut squash and risotto and stir until rice starts to turn golden brown.  

Add Chardonnay, thyme and sage and continue to stir until liquid is absorbed.  Continue to add 1 C of broth add a time, stirring all the while and waiting until liquid is absorbed before adding next cup.  This can take up to 45 minutes or so.

When rice achieves the desired texture, turn heat to medium-low.  Stir in cheese and bacon.  Once cheese is melted and incorporated, stir in a splash of heavy cream.

I usually do not add much salt to this dish, as the reduced broth ends up salty enough, and with the addition of the bacon and cheese, you may not need any, but give it a taste at the end to check the seasoning and make sure the grains are soft, yet still a bit al dente.  You don't want a mushy texture.

Baked Garlic Shrimp Bowl

 The Essence of Italy in a Bowl!

 

 

Years ago I lived in Newport Beach, California where we would frequent a restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway called Jack Shrimp.  They served pretty much one thing, bowls of shrimp in a spicy broth with a loaf of crusty bread for dipping.  It was an addicting combination.  

Though Jack Shrimp closed over a decade ago, I often still find myself craving their shrimp bowls and decided to create my own version of their delicious specialty - Italian style.

 

 

 

There is something about the classic yet simplistic combination of olive oil, garlic, lemon, white wine and parsley that is timelessly Italian.  Add some fresh heirloom tomatoes (I always keep heirloom cherry tomatoes on hand), spicy red pepper flakes and a pat of butter and the subsequent silky broth is absolutely mouth watering.

 

 

Soudough bread is my favorite.  I simply sliced the bread, spritzed the slices with coconut oil spray, gave each a twist of fresh ground black pepper and toasted them on a sheet pan while the shrimp were cooking.

The crisp bread serves as a spoon to scoop up the shrimp mixture.  Don't worry, there will be plenty of broth left for dipping.

Baked Garlic Shrimp Bowl

2 lbs peel deveined shrimp cut into 1" chunks
Juice of one lemon
3 T garlic, finely chopped
1/4 C Garlic Infused Olive Oil
1/4 C chicken broth
1 T butter
1 T red pepper flakes
2 t salt
1/4 C fresh chopped tomatoes
1/4 white wine

Preheat over to 375.  Combine all ingredients in an oven proof skillet.  Bake 10 - 15 minutes.

Enjoy with a crusty loaf of sourdough and a buttery Chardonnay.

Fruit, Fromage - and Wine, of course...

In my perfect world, I'd wake up and spend hours in the kitchen leisurely creating something I hope will turn out spectacular.  (Doesn't always happen that way, but I do have a great time trying).   

Friends are generally taken aback when they learn that Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite days of the year for the very reason that  I wake up knowing I have all day to make a multi-course feast, and it just, simply, makes me happy.  

Sadly, my hectic weekday life doesn't always afford the time necessary to attempt culinary masterpieces night after night.  When life gets too busy, I have no problem throwing down a simple cheese and fruit platter and calling it dinner.  

 

Ah, cheese.  Did I mention how much I love cheese?  Imagine my delight when, thanks to a dear friend, I lucked into a Restaurant Depot membership.  

If you are reading this blog, I know you love food as much as I do, and I highly recommend you do whatever it takes to check this place out.  You wont regret it!

Card in hand, I ventured into the sprawling restaurant supply warehouse - aka Disneyland for foodies - and literally stood there, mouth agape, in awe of my surroundings.  

Restaurant Depot spans aisle after aisle, packed with the most dazzling array of pastas, rice, sauces, seasonings and exotic delicacies.  Farm fresh produce in every variety imaginable.  So you have to buy a 20 pound bag of oranges, or an entire crate of cilantro?  Who doesn't want that?  Aside from my husband, that is, who has a hard time navigating our fridge as it is...

 

I won't even go into the gadgets, utensils and appliances, but suffice to say, the sight of waist-high stainless immersion blenders, Hobart ice makers and gleaming industrial refrigerators with glass doors gave me the chills!

Donning one of the many quilted coats hanging on a rack by the massive refrigerator doors, I ventured into a 15,000 square foot ice box to check out the meats, seafood, poultry, dairy and, low and behold, came face to face with the cheese display.  And not just ordinary cheese.  No sliced American here.  We are talking specialty cheeses from around the world.  I was in Heaven.

There were wheels of nutty, aged Dutch Gouda the size of an economy car's spare tire and bricks of buttery Havarti riddled with maple bacon.  Buckets of New York Ricotta, five pound bags of shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and ground Pecorino Romano, apricot infused sharp white cheese from the English countryside and logs of cranberry covered creamy white bliss from goats that roam the rolling green hills of Napa Valley.

Needless to say, I spent way more money than I should have, and later found that cheese, when sealed air tight in plastic, freezes magnificently and thaws quickly, just perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.  

So maybe my cheese platter is not exactly simple, but add some seasonal fruit, cracked black pepper Triscuits, assorted charcuterie and I am good to go!

 Did I forget to mention the wine?  I believe a fall shipment of Dark Star is headed my way any moment now. 

Oh happy day!