Day 9: France

Coq au Vin & Crème Brûlée

• 

• 

For my final European meal I decided to go all out and make an entrée and a dessert. Some say coq au vin was invented by the ancient Gauls during the time of Julius Caesar; however, there is no historical proof of this. Either way, this chicken dish has existed for at least a few centuries. It was first popularized in America by Julia Child in her 1961 cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Crème brûlée directly translates to burned cream – and that’s exactly what it is, cream whose top has been burned into a caramelized crisp. The first known crème brûlée recipe can be found in a 17th century cookbook called Cuisinier royal et bourgeois, which means royal and bourgeois cooking. The point being, both of these dishes are French staples that have withstood the test of time.

Now, to the cooking:

Ingredients:

Serves 6

• 3 lb chicken legs and thighs
• 2.5 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 3 cups red wine (I used cabernet sauvignon)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. thyme leaves
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. brandy
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 12-15 pearl onions
• Pinch of sugar
• Vegetable oil for frying

Step 1: Rub chicken with salt and pepper. Then, add seasoned chicken to a large bowl with the red wine, bay leaf and thyme. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 2 hours (I let my chicken marinate for about 5).

Step 2: After the chicken has marinated, remove from the bowl and dry well. Save the marinade for later. Put oil in a large pot and add the chicken to brown – about 3-5 minutes on each side. As the chicken browns, remove it from the pot and set aside for later.

Step 3: Add more oil to the pot and then add the diced onion, carrot, and half of the mushrooms. You can also add more salt here if you’re so inclined. After all of the vegetables have cooked (about 10 minutes), add garlic and tomato paste and mix in well.

Step 4: Push the vegetables to one side of the pot and add the brandy to the other. Once the brandy is added, light it with a match and wait until the flame dies. Then, add the remaining marinade and boil for 12-15 minutes. This should reduce the amount of red wine by about half.

Step 5: After boiling, reduce to a low heat and add the chicken to the pot. Cover the pot and cook over this low heat for an hour. After an hour has passed, uncover the pot and cook on a heat just below high for 15 more minutes.

Step 6: While this is happening, add butter and vegetable oil to a skillet over low heat with the pearl onions and a pinch of sugar and salt. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, shaking the onions frequently. Then, bring the skillet to a medium-high heat and add the remaining mushrooms. Cook until the vegetables are browned, stirring frequently.

Step 7: Add the mushrooms and pearl onions to the large pot and incorporate them with the sauce. Add minced parsley and serve!

---

The crème brûlée has a lot fewer ingredients than the coq au vin, but it too has a significant wait time.

Ingredients:

• 1 qt. heavy cream
• 3 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 large egg yolks

Step 1: Heat the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Add the egg yolks and sugar to a large bowl and mix well. Here is a video for how to separate yolks from whites if you’ve never done it before. You can also use your hands in place of the egg shell as long as they’re clean and you’re not afraid of a little mess.

Step 3: After the heavy cream has cooled, slowly add it to the egg mixture, stirring constantly.

Step 4: Transfer the mixture into 6-8 oz ramekins (the shallower the better). Place the ramekins in a pan and add hot water to half-way up the ramekins. This will allow the crème brûlée to bake more evenly. Place the pan in the oven at 325ºF and cook for about 45 minutes.

Step 5: Remove the ramekins from the pan and place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours.

Step 6: Now, if you have a butane torch, feel free to use it to burn the top of the crème; however, if like me you don’t, that’s no problem. Just use your oven’s broiler instead! After the dessert has chilled, sprinkle brown sugar as evenly as possible on top. Then place under broiler until the top of the crème brûlée has reached your desired color and crispiness. I burned mine for about 2 minutes, but if you like yours darker just keep it in the oven for longer. Allow the crème brûlée to rest before serving.