INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

If one were to take a global poll asking which culture has historically
produced the most culinary contributions to romantic cooking, the longitude
and latitude of your point of origin would most likely determine your
ranking. The Kitchen Staff agrees that the French would finish in the top
ten of nearly everyone's list.
In order to prepare the classically romantic French feast of Coq au Vin you
will need to invest some time an energy into your meal, just as a great
French chef would. Today's recipe is Part 1 of your adventure as a great
French chef. We've included this recipe in Romantic Recipe week(s) because
sometimes it's just more fun for two to cook, that for one. So grab your
partner and get your mise-en-place!
Learn a little French cooking wizardry. Mise-en-place is a tray of
ingredients prepared before you start your recipe. Literally translated
mise-en-place means "to put in place." It is a great time-saving,
organizational function of the French kitchen. Simply assemble all the
ingredients your recipe requires in the exact amounts required, placing
each ingredient in small bowls on a tray and check your list twice. The
Kitchen Staff strongly urges you to prepare your Co au Vin utilizing this
traditionally French method of preparation.
Place the chicken bones in a roasting pan and heat in a 450-F degree oven
for 30-minutes, stirring frequently until golden brown. Add flour, onion,
carrots, celery, salt, pepper and wine to the pan of bones and mix well.
Place back in the oven for an additional 5-minutes, then transfer all the
ingredients to a stock pot.
Add veal stock to stock pot with the wine, vegetables and bones. Over
medium heat bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer
for 1-hour. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer and adjust
seasoning, yield should be about 2 cups of sauce. Add caramel coloring at
this time adjust the color of the sauce, if desired.
Kitchen Staff Tips: Roasting the bones is a necessary step for preparing a
great stock or sauce. Don't skimp on the preparation time because you'll
only be short-changing the flavor. Speaking of flavor, all great chefs
taste their recipes as they prepare them. So get out the spoon and
taste-test with your partner as you complete each step in preparing your
sauce! If you elect to use a non-alcohol substitute in your cooking, you
will greatly change the flavor of the sauce. Use only those ingredients
that you enjoy. As a final option you could exclude the veal stock and
substitute water, understanding that the sauce is a pale substitute for the
intended flavor.
Stay Tuned! Part 2 of Coq au Vin will be published tomorrow.
Posted to dailyrecipe@recipe-a-day.com by The Cook & Kitchen Staff
<dailyrecipe-owner@recipe-a-day.com> on Feb 11, 1998

A Message from our Provider:

“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless. #Chester W. Nimitz”