Talk about food and wine pairing!
As you all know by now, I am a self-confessed rooster addict! Because I can't have the real deal in my city garden, I have opted for one made from every conceivable matter possible, like recycled plastic shopping bags, straw, metal, wood, glass, porcelain, wire, beads, and more. If you find one that you think I might not have yet, pop me an e-mail...
And so, in keeping with the comfort food theme, and because of my fetish, I thought I'd start with a firm favourite - coq au vin! Translated from French, it means "rooster in wine." And being a rooster lover, I feel that this is a fitting way for a rooster to go! Drowned in good wine! Although this is not a South African oldie, it qualifies as comfort food in every sense of the word.
Serves 4 - 6
Difficulty - slightly difficult
Ingredients
500g bacon, chopped
Olive oil
1,2kg jointed chicken
2 onions, sliced
2 peeled carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 huge marrow bones (beef)
large bouquet garni (see recipe in left margin)
4 bay leaves
1t thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
30g flour
2 bottles red wine
1 litre chicken stock
20 small onions
500g mushrooms
50ml butter
25g sugar
2T brandy
Method
1. Braise the bacon in some olive oil until the fat runs. Remove.
2. Brown the chicken in the same oil. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, marrow bones, bouquet garni and herbs.
3. Sprinkle with black pepper and flour and stir these in before adding the wine and stock.
4. Cook at a slow simmer for about 45 minutes until the chicken is tender.
5. In the meanwhile, boil the onions until they're just soft.
6. A few minutes before you're ready to serve, brown the mushrooms in olive oil and add to the casserole.
7. Caramelise the onions in butter and sugar and add.
8. Flambé the brandy - it's easiest to do this if you warm it in a small pan over a low flame first - and pour it over the chicken.
9. Serve in soup plates with crusty bread on the side.
This is Marlene van der Westhuizen's recipe from her book "Delectable"...says it all! Now pop the cork to a good bottle of red, like a Merlot, set a match to the wood in the fireplace, light the candles and ring the bell to signal that dinner is about to be served.
But now, I'm off to the Good Food and Wine Show at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, and you're going to have to wait until next time to read more about it! Ciao...
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