Kale salad with cranberries, pecans and bleu cheese

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp Maille's coarse mustard

1 tsp honey

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

kale; stemmed, chopped

dried cranberries

toasted pecans

blue cheese

croutons

Make a vinaigrette whisking together the mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, honey salt and pepper. 

Toss with kale and top with cranberries, pecans, blue cheese, and croutons. 

Coq Au Vin

6 oz thick-cut bacon; 5 slices cut into 1" pieces

3-4 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs or sticks

8 oz frozen pearl onions

10 oz white mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 bottle Pinot Noir

2.5 cups chicken broth

1 tsp minced fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp unsalted butter quartered

2 tbsp minced fresh parlsey

Fry bacon in a large Dutch oven until crisp. Move to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Keep rendered fat in pan. Par to about 2 tbsp.

Pat chicken dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Return the Dutch oven to medium-high heat and brown the chicken on both sides. About 5-7 minutes a side. Cook chicken in two batches if necessary. When brown, transfer to plate and set aside.

Par to about 1 tbsp of fat in Dutch oven. Add onions and mushrooms and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook and 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Str in wine, broth, thyme and bay leaves and scape up any remaining bits.

Nestle the chicken, along with any juices, into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is tender and registers 175 degrees, about 45-60 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a serving dish and tent loosely with foil and let rest. Return sauce to a simmer until thickened and measures about 2 cups, about 20 minutes. Off the heat, remove bay leaves, whisk in butter with salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve over extra-wide egg noodles. Pour sauce over chicken and noodles and sprinkle with bacon and parsley. 

Creamy Chicken Thighs with Lemon and Thyme

4 to 6 chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in
olive oil

salt, pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1.5 cups yellow onion chopped

1.5 cups chopped leeks, white and light green part; about 2 leeks

2 teaspoons minced garlic

.5 cups chicken broth

.5 cups Pinot Grigio

.5 cups creme fraiche

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 lemon sliced in half-rounds

8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme

Salt and pepper chicken thighs and cook in a brasier until done on stove top or in  400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes. Get the skin nice and brown. Set chicken aside.

Pour off excess renderings or supplement with olive oil, leaving about 2 tablespoons of fat in brasier and return to a medium heat stove top. Sauté onions and leeks for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and wine and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Whisk in creme fraiche, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt and .5 teaspoon pepper.

Nestle chicken thighs into sauce in the brasier. Tuck lemon slices amongst the thighs and strew thyme sprigs on top. Roast uncovered at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve hot over rice.