It has been snowing here all day, so all I could think of was making something warm and comforting for dinner. It is also a Saturday so I wanted to try a new recipe that took a little more time than usual since I had time to enjoy a more relaxed cooking process. Voila! Julia Child came to mind. My favorite cooking quote is by Mrs. Child, “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”So I figured, what the heck, let’s give Julia a try.

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2012

I made her beef bourguignon a couple years ago when I was first gifted her masterpiece cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” I remember I loved taking the time to make a recipe so famous and well-regarded and that really was like making my own art piece. I felt the same way this evening making her famous coq au vin or chicken in red wine sauce with onions and bacon. I was also extremely excited to light my first piece of food on fire! We had a small bottle of cognac gifted to us but that had never been opened so I jumped at the opportunity to use it for chicken a flambé. I am happy to report I didn’t burn down the kitchen and it looked pretty cool!  See the blue flames…

©EverydayCookingAdventures 2012

The whole recipe took me about 1 hour but I skipped the mushrooms. For the beginning bacon step, my mom gave me a great tip to cook the bacon at a low-medium heat so the bacon slowly released its all of its juicy fatness over about 15 minutes. I cut up one yellow onion in long “peels” or slices instead of cooking a ton of small white onions. I added sliced boiling potatoes to the onions after the onions already were sauteed. So I just poured a little extra broth in to cover the potatoes and let it all simmer for about 15 minutes. I then uncovered the pot and let the liquid burn down on a rapid-simmer for another 10 minutes.

The onions/potatoes simmering ©EverydayCookingAdventures 2012

I made Julia Child’s Frozen Peas recipe for a side dish. This was a decadent and absolutely enjoyable meal. It was a really nice feeling to have accomplished making one of Julia’s iconic dishes and to have it actually come out looking and tasting right. I have leftovers for tomorrow’s dinner too. BON APPETIT! Here’s my coq au vin:

Julia Child Coq Au Vin ©EverydayCookingAdventures

Julia Child’s Coq Au Vin ©EverydayCookingAdventures

Julia Child’s Coq Au Vin

Recipe from: Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One, Alfred A. Knopf
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Mastering the Art of French Cooking says: This popular dish may be called coq au Chamberlain, coq au Riesling, or coq au whatever wine you use for its cooking. It is made with either white or red wine, but red is more characteristic. In France it is usually accompanied only by parsley potatoes; buttered green peas could be included if you wish a green vegetable. Serve it with a young, full-bodied red Burgundy, Beaujolais or Cotes du Rhone.

Ingredients

• 3 to 4-ounce chunk lean bacon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying chicken, cut into pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper, plus additional for seasoning
• 1/4 cup cognac
• 3 cups young, full-bodied red wine, such as Burgundy, Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, or Chianti
• 1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock, brown stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 12 to 24 Brown-Braised Onions, recipe follows below
• 1/2 pound Sauteed Mushrooms, recipe follows below
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• Fresh parsley leaves

2. In a heavy large heavy bottomed casserole or Dutch oven, saute the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very lightly browned. Remove to a side dish.

3. Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot juices in the casserole.

4. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.

5. Uncover, and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake thecasserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside.

6. Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. Remove the chicken to a side dish.

7. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

8. Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for 1 to 2 minutes, skimming off fat. Then raise the heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Correct seasoning. Remove from heat, and discard bay leaf.

9. Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (beurre manie). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whisk. Bring to a simmer, stirring and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

10. Arrange the chicken in a casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it and baste with the sauce. Serve from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with sprigs of parsley. If the dish is not to be served immediately, film the top of the sauce with stock or dot with small pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered for no longer than 1 hour or cool, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Brown-Braised Onions:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
• 18 to 24 peeled white onions, about 1-inch in diameter
• 1/2 cup brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
• Salt and pepper
• Medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon thyme tied in cheesecloth

1. When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

2. Braise them as follows: Pour in the stock, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 15 to 20 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.

Sauteed Mushrooms:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
• 1 to 2 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions, optional
• Salt and pepper

1. Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

2. Toss the shallots or green onions, if using, with the mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Sauteed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.