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. 

Sheet Pan Fried Rice

Step 1

4 cups cooked rice, preferably leftover and slightly dry
5 scallions, sliced white only

2 carrots, peeled and grated with box grater
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. sesame oil

Step 2

3 eggs beaten
3/4 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined
toasted sesame seeds

5 scallions, sliced green only

Preheat oven to 475F.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients in Step 1 until rice is completely coated.

Spread evenly on a sprayed sheet pan. Bake until rice begins to toast on the edges, about 15 minutes. Toss rice with a spatula, scraping-up crusty bits.

Drizzle eggs over the rice and nestle in shrimp. Bake until shrimp and eggs are both cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. 

Top with sesame seeds and green part of scallions. Serve.   

Thai Slaw with Peanut Dressing

 Dressing

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

2 tbsp. lime juice

3 tbsp. peanut oil

1 tbsp. soy sauce

2 tbsp. honey

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp. minced ginger

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

fresh cilantro

Slaw

4 cups chopped cabbage

1 cup shredded carrots

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 small English cucumber, halved length-wise, seeded and sliced

1 cup cooked, shelled edamame 

2 green onions, sliced

Combine all Dressing ingredients in a food processor for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth. Add cilantro and pulse for 5 seconds-ish. 

Combine all Slaw ingredients in large bowl. 

Dress Slaw when ready to serve.

50Hertz Green Sichuan Pepper Oil

 

de Venoge Cordon Bleu Champagne

 Paired well with November 7, 2020

Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne

 

Besserat de Bellefon Grande Tradition Brut Champagne

 

三杯鸡 (San Bei Ji or Three Cup Chicken)

1/3 cup Pearl River Bridge Superior Dark Soy Sauce
1/3 cup mirin or dry sherry
1tbsp brown sugar

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces
2-3 inches ginger root; peeled and sliced into thin medallions
12 whole cloves garlic peeled

1/2 tsp whole dried green Sichuan Peppers (optional)
peanut oil

6 scallions 1/2” slices on bias; white and green parts separated
chili flakes to taste

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tbsp water

1 cup fresh whole basil leaves

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Wisk together soy sauce, mirin and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add chicken and setaside to marinate while preparing. 

Slowly sauté ginger and garlic in peanut oil until golden, 10 minutes. (optional - add Sichuan Peppers about 7-8 minutes into this sauté)

Add chicken and marinade to ginger and garlic. Cook 10 minutes on medium-low. 

Add white part of scallions and chili flakes, cook 10 minutes.

 

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Wisk cornstarch and water and add to chicken; cook until thickened, 2 minutes. Stir in fresh basil leaves, green scallions and sesame oil and take off heat. Serve with jasmine rice.