Woodchuck Au Vin Food

COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• 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 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.
• Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.
• Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.

COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• Cut off the root end of each pearl onion and make an "x" with your knife in its place. Bring 2 to 3 cups of water to a boil and drop in the onions for 1 minute. Remove the onions from the pot, allow them to cool, and then peel. You should be able to slide the onions right out of their skin. Set aside.
• Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the chicken pieces, a few at a time, into a large (1 or 2-gallon) sealable plastic bag along with the flour. Shake to coat all of the pieces of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the bag to a metal rack.
• Add the 2 tablespoons of water to a large, 12-inch saute pan over medium heat along with the salt pork. Cover and cook until the water is gone, and then continue to cook until the salt pork cubes are golden brown and crispy, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the salt pork from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, using the remaining fat, add the pearl onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until lightly brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside. Next, brown the chicken pieces on each side until golden brown, working in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan. Transfer the chicken into a 7 to 8-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven.
• Add the mushrooms to the same 12-inch saute pan, adding the 1 tablespoon of butter if needed, and saute until they give up their liquid, approximately 5 minutes. Store the onions, mushrooms and pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Pour off any remaining fat and deglaze the pan with approximately 1 cup of the wine. Pour this into the Dutch oven along with the chicken stock, tomato paste, quartered onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Add all of the remaining wine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Maintain a very gentle simmer and stir occasionally.
• Once the chicken is done, remove it to a heatproof container, cover, and place it in the oven to keep warm. Strain the sauce in a colander and remove the carrots, onion, celery, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Return the sauce to the pot, place over medium heat, and reduce by 1/3. Depending on how much liquid you actually began with, this should take 20 to 45 minutes.
• Once the sauce has thickened, add the pearl onions, mushrooms, and pork and cook for another 15 minutes or until the heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, remove from the heat, add the chicken and serve. Serve over egg noodles, if desired.
• Cook¿s Note: If the sauce is not thick enough at the end of reducing, you may add a mixture of equal parts butter and flour kneaded together. Start with 1 tablespoon of each. Whisk this into the sauce for 4 to 5 minutes and repeat, if necessary.

WOODCHUCK AU VIN

Steps:

• Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add olive oil. When the oil is hot, add woodchuck meat and sauté until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add shallots and carrots to pan and sauté until lightly browned. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add stock or water, red wine and 3/4 cup of vermouth. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping bottom of the pan. Return meat to pan, and add pepper, thyme, bay leaf, and 1 tablespoon of the rosemary. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add olives and remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, about 45 minutes.
• Discard bay leaf. Raise heat and boil uncovered until liquid is slightly reduced. In a small bowl, mix remaining 2 tablespoons vermouth with enough flour to make a soupy paste. Thicken sauce to taste by adding paste a tablespoon at a time, simmering for a minute after each addition; all of the paste may not be needed. Stir in parsley, and season with salt if needed. If desired, serve over rice or egg noodles, or with boiled potatoes.

COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• Coat a large 7-quart Dutch oven or rondeau with olive oil and bring to a medium high heat. Pat the capon dry and sprinkle generously with salt, to taste. Working in batches if necessary, coat the capon gently with flour and put immediately in the hot oil. Only flour the capon that you are working with in that batch- no premature flouring. Premature flouring will result in doughy, gritty, mealy capon rather than crispy. Brown on all sides, and then remove from the pan to paper towels. Remove any excess oil from the pan.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the bacon lardons to the pan with a tiny splash of new olive oil. Cook the bacon until it is brown and crispy. Add the celery and onions, season with salt and cook until the veggies are starting to soften, are very aromatic and have no color, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms give off their juices, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the brandy and cook until it has reduced down. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. The mixture will become very thick--that is good! Stir in the wine and bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil over medium heat. Toss in the cipollini onions, skin and all! Cook the onions for 3 to 4 minutes and then strain. When the onions are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard, reserving the onions.
• Return the legs and thighs of the capon to the pan, reserving the breasts. Stir in enough chicken stock until the chicken is three-quarters covered. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed. Add the cipollini onions and the potatoes. Partially cover the pan and simmer for 20 minutes.
• After the capon has simmered for 20 minutes, turn the legs and thighs over and add the breasts. Check the level of liquid and add more chicken stock if needed. Partially cover the pan and simmer for another 15 minutes.
• Remove the capon from the pan and skim the sauce, if necessary. If the sauce is on the thin side reduce it down until it becomes a sauce-like consistency. Season. Transfer the capon to a serving platter, garnish with chopped chives and serve with lots of the sauce.
• Chicken, bacon, and mushrooms oh my!

COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• Reduce wine: In a large saucepan, add the wines. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, at a very low temperature, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the fridge, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, break down the chicken: First, slice away the leg and thigh from each side, including the "oysters" (the small, round pieces of meat nestled on each side of the backbone). Next, find the joint between the leg and thigh; slice through the joint and cut the leg and thigh into separate pieces. Chop off the cartilaginous ends of the drumsticks and discard. Trim the tips of the wings, then cut down either side of the backbone and remove. Discard the wingtips and backbone, or save for stock. Lay the knife along the center of the breastbone; whack the back of the knife with your free hand to split, then slice the breasts into two pieces. Cut each breast in half crosswise, for a total of 8 pieces. Marinate chicken: Transfer chicken pieces to a large bowl or container; add the reduced wine. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
• After at least 6 hours of marinating, brown the chicken: Preheat oven to 325 F. Remove chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Pat chicken dry with paper towels; then season with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour. In large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. When butter is foamy, add chicken, skin side down, in an even layer; then distribute 1 more tablespoon of butter around the pot. Turn heat to high and sear for 3-4 minutes. When the skin is nicely seared, sprinkle additional flour over the chicken to aid browning, and add 2 more tablespoons of butter. Use a meat fork to flip the chicken and sear for another 3-4 minutes on the second side.
• Sweat vegetables: In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Meanwhile, cut celery into 1-inch pieces on a bias; cut any large cloves of garlic in half; cut carrots into rough 1-inch pieces. When butter is foamy, add celery, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, and pearl onions; sweat, tossing occasionally, 2 minutes. Meanwhile, cut bacon into ½-inch thick chunks; add to skillet and toss to combine. Stir tomato paste into the vegetables, then season with a pinch of salt and several grinds of white pepper.
• Braise: Add 1 cup of red wine marinade to the vegetables; pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Gently shake the pot to ensure the chicken is not sticking. Allow vegetables to absorb the wine for 1 minute; then stir and add to the chicken. Make a spice and herb sachet: Place cracked white pepper, coriander seed, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf in the middle of a square of cheesecloth. Make a bundle, tie with twine, and trim the excess cheesecloth; place sachet into the pot. Bring to a simmer; then place in the oven, uncovered, and braise for 30 minutes. (Total braising time will be 50 minutes.)
• After 30 minutes, remove Coq au Vin from oven. Remove and set aside the 4 breast pieces. (Optional: Remove bones for easier eating.) Leave the leg and thigh pieces, as they take longer to cook. Add warm chicken stock; then return pot to oven to continue braising until the meat is tender, 10-20 more minutes.
• Use tongs and a spider strainer to pull chicken pieces from the pot, leaving the sauce behind; arrange on a serving platter. Remove and discard sachet. Next, remove vegetables and bacon from the pot, leaving only the sauce behind, and arrange around the chicken. Reduce sauce: Place a chinois or fine-mesh strainer over a large saucepan; strain the sauce into it, pressing it through with the back of a ladle to extract all the liquid. Bring sauce a boil over high heat; then reduce heat to medium and simmer to reduce by ⅓, 6-8 minutes. As the sauce simmers, use a spoon or ladle to gently skim off any fat or impurities that rise to the top. When sauce has nearly finished reducing, season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix cornstarch and water to make a slurry; add to the sauce to thicken and whisk well to combine. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
• Spoon sauce over Coq au Vin. Garnish with parsley and serve. (Serve Coq au Vin with rice, polenta, potatoes, or gnocchi.)