Thread: just wanted to share tonight's dinner with you guys..

Originally Posted by MickR

Now that's a first sentence to have fun with .


Mick

Yeah!

OCD......I need your best chicken stew recipe , and spoon it over mashed taters...So Yah Got one .....the leaves are changing color here and it's cool out....prime time for some stick to your bones cookn !!

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Tarte Lorraine tonight, aka quiche. Some say real men don't eat quiche. Well, more for me I guess. The bulk of today's cooking is a massive pot of stock. Twenty five pounds of bones and a few extra pounds of shank. When it's over I will have plenty of demi glace in the feezer ready for sauces this fall/winter.

Attachment 214224

Attachment 214225

I'm a man and I'm real and I love Quiche......Just sayin.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Am I the only one cooking tonight?

Soon I'll be postin...just waitin for payday. And since it is getting colder out I'm thinking about roasting something.

Quick Late Supper: Chicken Broth,noodles and chicken Pelmeni(Russian dumplings),chopped onions,Portobella mushroom,Italian green beans,fresh rosmary,smoked Paprika,diced pork....nothing fancy but satisfying for the soul on a cool Fall morning.

'Love the photo, nightblade. Its a real still-life - rather than posed. The simple scene of simple fare is terrific. With a little luck, I'll find out tomorrow how my 2nd attempt at Volkornbrot turns out. 'One of the very German 100% rye breads that can double as a doorstop if it doesn't taste that good. 'Heavy, dense, moist - for using like a cracker or with strong meat/cheese. 'Definitely not a sandwich loaf. 'Takes 2 days to 'rest', in which the moisture disburses, the crumb firms up. Keep cooking, keep posting. keep having fun doing it.

Originally Posted by pinklather

'Love the photo, nightblade. Its a real still-life - rather than posed. The simple scene of simple fare is terrific. With a little luck, I'll find out tomorrow how my 2nd attempt at Volkornbrot turns out. 'One of the very German 100% rye breads that can double as a doorstop if it doesn't taste that good. 'Heavy, dense, moist - for using like a cracker or with strong meat/cheese. 'Definitely not a sandwich loaf. 'Takes 2 days to 'rest', in which the moisture disburses, the crumb firms up. Keep cooking, keep posting. keep having fun doing it.

Can't wait so read about it.
If it turns out well, will you share the recipe? Maybe under the bread thread?

Originally Posted by nessmuck

OCD......I need your best chicken stew recipe , and spoon it over mashed taters...So Yah Got one .....the leaves are changing color here and it's cool out....prime time for some stick to your bones cookn !!

I have a couple ideas for you. A traditional coq au vin or something more cajun etoufee like. I'll give you both but the coq au vin is a little more tricky. The problem with coq au vin is that it requires a long cooking time to develop the sauce. Most supermaket chickens are not old enough to simmer that long unless they fall apart on you. It can be done but if you go that route, only use the legs and thighs. I have a couple others (one already posted in the recipe section) too but I don't think they are what you're looking for.

Ok, this one I haven't made in many many years. But I remember it being a real homey tasty recipe. I personally would serve this with rice no "taters" but I think you can make the substitution without much compromise.


Gigi Patout's (Maw Maw's Chicken stew)

5 lbs chicken - either one whole, or legs and thighs as I suggested
2 cups neutral oil
3 cups flour
1 tbl cayanne pepper
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp white pepper
3 yellow onions chopped
2 green bell peppers chopped
2 celery stalks, choppd
8 cups chicken stock
6 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 bunches green onions chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Start by making a roux with the flour and oil. You want a dark roux. It should be reddish brown. The cajuns say it should cook for two beers. But that depends on the size of the beer and how fast you drink. But make the roux on a med low heat stirring constantly until its nice and dark but not burnt. Reserve.

If using a whole chicken, cut it up into 8 pieces. Preferably you're using all leg/thigh. Brown the chicken pieces in a heavy pan or Dutch oven. Brown them well on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add the roux to the pan and warm. Add half of the onion, celery, and peppers to the roux. Cook all this for about 5 minutes to wilt the veg. Whisk in the stock to avoid it lumping up. When all the stock is in the pot, add the rest of the veg. Season with salt and add the white, red, and black pepper. Simmer this for about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir frequently to avoid is scorching. Add the chicken and cook in the sauce until tender. If you start with an older bird, you can get more flavor out of it. When the meat is tender, remove it from the heat and allow it to rest for about ten minutes to let any fat rise to the surface. Skim and remove that. Add the mushrooms and parsley and bring back to a simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the mushrooms to cook through. Best served with rice but you can do potatoes too.

Coq au vin to follow.

Originally Posted by nessmuck

OCD......I need your best chicken stew recipe , and spoon it over mashed taters...So Yah Got one .....the leaves are changing color here and it's cool out....prime time for some stick to your bones cookn !!

Part 2, Coq au Vin

This, just like the last recipe is best with an old bird. But with this recipe its much more important because of the larger volume of acid from the wine. It takes time to cook that acid out of the sauce and a young chicken doesn't have the toughness to stand for that long of a cooking time. So I again suggest that you use only legs and thighs. And if you feel more persistent, you can do what I do and buy some chicken backs to simmer away for a couple hours before you add the chicken to compensate.

5 lbs chicken in pieces,
One bottle of red wine (pick a medium bodied wine with lower tannins)
2 oz brandy
Two cups of chicken stock
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 tsp crushed peppercorns
2 tbls tomato paste
2 tbl flour
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 bouquet garni (parsley stems, thyme, and bay leaf tied in a celery stick)
6 oz slab bacon cut in cubes
1/2 lb mushrooms quartered
4 oz pear onions

Place the chicken, red wine, brandy, peppercorns, onion, celery, and carrot in a large bowl. Let this marinate overnight in the frige. The next day, remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat some oil over med heat. Add the chicken and brown well. This part is crucial as the development of flavor is happening here. Let the chicken brown thoroughly. While the chiken is browning, strain the veg from the wine in the marinade. Allow the veg to sit in the strainer this whole time to get as much liquid out as possible. When the chicken has browned completely, remove it and set it aside. Add the veg from the marinade and brown it slightly in the pan. When lightly brown, add the tomato paste and allow that to caramelize lightly. Add the flour and mix well to ensure it absorbs all the oil. Begin adding the wine slowly being sure not to allow the floug to lump (stir well while adding it). When all the wine has been added bring to a simmer. Let this simmer for about 15 minutes to boil off the alcohol. Add the stock and the garlic. Brin back to a simmer. Add the bouquet garni and the chicken and simmer until tender. Just before tender, add the pear onions. Meanwhile in a separate saute pan, brown the bacon pieces. When brown, add them to the pot with the chicken. In the same skillet as the bacon, add the mushrooms and brown them on high heat. Add them to the chicken as well. Allow all of these to simmer for a few minutes and serve.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Part 2, Coq au Vin

This, just like the last recipe is best with an old bird. But with this recipe its much more important because of the larger volume of acid from the wine. It takes time to cook that acid out of the sauce and a young chicken doesn't have the toughness to stand for that long of a cooking time.

I believe that perhaps the term that's needed for the 'layman' of an 'Old Bird' is a 'Stewing Chicken'.

I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again.