French Food Friday...Coq au Vin

recipe and photo from here

This recipe comes from one of the first French cookery books that I have purchased and it is the most used recipe book in my kitchen.

I use the internet most of the time but when I am looking for a tried and tested recipe, it is back to Raymond I go and this book is fool proof hence the title "Foolproof French Cookery".

Coq au Vin

Preparation: 1 hour, plus 24 hours' marinating.
Serves 4

Ingredients

1.5kg	Chicken, (free range or organic), cut into 10 pieces (ask your butcher to prepare this)
1 tbsp	Plain flour
2 tbsp	Olive oil
2 pinches	Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the marinade
1 litre	Full-bodied red wine, such as Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon
3	Medium carrots, cut into slanted slices 1 cm (1/2 in) thick
2	Celery sticks, cut into slices 1 cm (1/2 in) thick
20	Baby onions, peeled but left whole
1	Bouquet garni (parsley stalks, 2 bay leaves, 6 sprigs thyme tied together)
1 tsp	Black peppercorns, crushed
For the garnish
1 tbsp	Olive oil
200g	Smoked streaky bacon, rind removed, diced
400g	Small button mushrooms, trimmed
1 tbsp	Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

Marinating the chicken

Bring the red wine to the boil and boil until reduced by a third, to remove the alcohol and concentrate the colour and flavour. Leave to cool. In a bowl, mix the chicken pieces, carrots, celery, baby onions, peppercorns and bouquet garni together and pour the cooled red wine over them. Cover with cling film, refrigerate and leave to marinate for 24 hours.  Place a colander over a large bowl and put the chicken mixture in it to drain off the marinade. Leave for a minimum of 1 hour to remove excess liquid. Separate the chicken, vegetables and herbs, and pat dry with kitchen paper. Season the chicken with 4 pinches of salt and 4 pinches of freshly ground black pepper. Reserve the liquid.

Toasting the flour

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Sprinkle the flour on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 8–10 minutes, until it is very lightly coloured. Set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2.

Frying the chicken

On a high heat, in a large, heavy-based casserole, heat the olive oil and colour the chicken pieces in it for 5–7 minutes on each side. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the drained vegetables and herbs to the casserole. Lower the heat to medium high and cook for 5 minutes, until lightly coloured.

Making the sauce

Spoon out most of the fat from the casserole, add the toasted flour and stir into the vegetables for a few seconds. On a medium heat, whisk in the wine marinade little by little; this will create a sauce and prevent lumps forming. Bring to the boil and skim any impurities from the surface. The wine marinade will be slightly thickened and have the consistency of a light sauce. Add the chicken pieces and return to the boil. Cover with a lid and cook in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

Finishing the sauce

If you wish you can serve the coq au vin as it is. But should you prefer a richer, more powerful sauce, drain it through a colander and, on a high heat, boil the sauce until it has reduced by one third. It should have acquired more body and become a rich, vinous colour. Pour the sauce back over the chicken and vegetables.

Cooking the garnish

Over a medium heat, in a medium non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil and cook the diced bacon in it for 30 seconds. Add the button mushrooms and cook for a further 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix the diced bacon and button mushrooms into the coq au vin. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve piping hot, straight from the casserole.

bon appetit à tous, Leeann x

love this expression...

photo from here

Autumn is a 2nd Spring where each flower is a leaf. I adore Autumn and I am looking forward to getting cosy...

à demain mes belles, Leeann x

Feeling sporty...

It is amazing what a difference a week makes. Last week we were roasting hence we had the air conditioning, fans etc. working overtime and this week all that is required is to leave a window open and let the cool breeze circulate around the house.

Our guests are feeling motivated by the cooler weather and every morning we have seen a steady stream of joggers and walkers head off for a jog before breakfast.

I even managed to drag French Boyfriend out yesterday for a brisk walk which was a lovely way to start the morning.

We even saw three swans floating calmly down the river and this morning's joggers reported that they had seen the same magical and calming sight as they seem to appear from nowhere and then disappear into the mist again...

Where ever you are, what ever you are doing, wishing you a très bonne semaine, Leeann x

 

French food Friday...Clafoutis salé d’épinards au saumon

photo and recipe from here

Bonjour from a cooler SW France,

The heat wave appears to have left France now and we can return to life as normal....

Today I am in the mood for something savoury and this recipe is perfect. The recipe appears in French followed by an English version below.

Ingrédients (4 personnes)
1 beau bouquet d’épinards frais
2 tranches de saumon fumé
25 cl de lait
50 g de farine
50 g de ricotta (ou de parmesan, ou gruyère selon ce que vous avez)
20 g de beurre
3 oeufs
Sel et poivre

1. Rincer les épinards, les blanchir 3 minutes à l’eau bouillante.
2. Les égoutter dans une passoire.
3. Dans un saladier, battre les œufs. Ajouter la farine puis le lait et le beurre fondu. Mélanger.
4. Ajouter le fromage, saler et poivrer.
5. Beurrer un plat à gratin, y ajouter les épinards et les morceaux de saumon puis ajouter l’appareil à clafoutis.
6. Enfourner à 180° pendant 40 minutes.

Ingrédients (Serves 4 )

1 nice bunch of fresh spinach
2 slices of smoked salmon chopped into small pieces
250 ml milk
50 g  flour
50 g ricotta  (or  parmesan or gruyère cheese or anything similar)
20 g butter melted
3 eggs
Salt & pepper

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 180°.
2.Rinse the spinach, cook for  3 minutes in boiling water.
3. Leave to drain in a strainer.
4. In a bowl beat the eggs with a fork. Add the flour followed by the milk and then the melted butter. Mix well.
5. Add the cheese, salt and pepper.
6. Grease a gratin dish, place the spinach and the salmon pieces in the dish. Pour over the  clafoutis mixture.
7. Cook at 180° for 40 minutes.

bon vendredi à tous, Leeann x

so pretty...

Yes I know too posts in one day, what has happened to me? After I finished my earlier post I received these lovely flowers and though that they were too pretty not to share with you.

So totally expected, they really made my day and I hope that they brighten yours....Leeann x

too hot to work!

It is 8h45 in the morning here and already it is 21 degrees. 
Today we are expecting a high of 33 degrees and a storm is forecast to arrive late afternoon. Yesterday we had a high of 36 degrees and it was almost too hot to work.

Our guests are going canoeing on the Dordogne today and I am very envious. It is voted one of the top 10 things to do whilst staying in the region and you can not beat the view from the river.

We have not had a lot of rain this summer and the countryside is looking very dry so a day or two of rain will be parfait.

It is the time of the year when all the online decoration shops send you emails telling you it is time to get cosy....maybe from tomorrow I can think about cosy but for the moment the fan is staying on!

Off to work I must go, wishing you a fabulous day where ever you are and what ever you are doing...

amicalement, Leeann x

 

French Food Friday...Vanilla Fig Preserves

photo and recipe from here

Bonjour mes belles,

As mentioned in my previous post, we have been given a lot of figs and I found this recipe on pinterest.

Vanilla Fig Preserves

25 mins to make, makes 4-5 cups

Ingredients

• 4 cups (662 grams) chopped figs
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped to release the seeds
• 4 teaspoons (20 ml) calcium water, mixed according to Pomona's Universal Pectin Instructions
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice
• 2 cups (383 grams) sugar
• 1 tablespoon (9 grams) Pomona's Universal Pectin

Directions

1. Add the chopped figs, water, vanilla bean and its seeds to a large, non-reactive saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes or slightly longer depending on how ripe your figs are, stirring occasionally to soften the fruit. Add the calcium water and lemon juice, stir thoroughly.
2. Measure the sugar into a mixing bowl and whisk in the pectin powder until it is completely incorporated and even in color.
3. Bring the fig mixture back to a boil. Add the sugar mixture and stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sugar and pectin are fully dissolved. Return to a full boil and remove from heat immediately. Remove and discard the vanilla bean.
4. Fill the jars to within 1/4 inch (6 mm) of headspace. Wipe rims clean. Center a lid in place and screw a ring to fingertip tightness or fix clamps in place. Put filled jars in a canner filled with boiling water to cover the jars by 2 inches (5 cm). Boil for 10 minutes, then, using a jar lifter, transfer the jars from the water to a clean dish towel or wire rack. Let cool completely. Remove the rings, wipe clean, label the jars and store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Once a jar is opened, it is good for about 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

bonne fin de semaine à tout le monde, Leeann x