My Menu Blog

• 1 bottle (1 liter) plus 1 cup (225 ml) of red wine
• 1 onion, cut into a 1-inch (2.5-cm) dice
• 1 carrot, cut into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices
• 1 celery rib, cut into ½-inch (1-cm) slices
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tbsp (14 g) whole black peppercorns
• 1 bouquet garni
• 1 whole chicken, about 3.5 lb (1.35 kg) “trimmed”–meaning guts, wing tips, and neckbone removed
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tbsp (28 ml) olive oil
• 6 tbsp (75 g) butter, softened
• 1 tbsp (14 g) flour
• ¼ lb (112 g) slab or country bacon, cut into small oblongs (lardons) about ¼ by 1 inch (6 mm by 2.5 cm)
• ½ Ib/225 g small, white button mushrooms, stems removed
• 12 pearl onions, peeled pinch of sugar

DAY ONE

The day before you even begin to cook, combine the bottle of red wine, the diced onion (that’s the big onion, not the pearl onions), sliced carrot, celery, cloves, peppercorns, and bouquet garni in a large, deep bowl. Add the chicken and submerge it in the liquid so that all of it is covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

DAY TWO

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry. Put it aside. Strain the marinade through the fine strainer, reserving the liquids and solids separately. Season the chicken with salt and pepper inside and out. In the large Dutch oven, heat the oil and 2 tablespoons/28 g of the butter until almost smoking, and then sear the chicken, turning with the tongs to evenly brown the skin. Once browned, remove it from the pot and set it aside again. Add the reserved onions, celery, and carrot to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and golden brown. That should take you about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and mix well with the wooden spoon so that the vegetables are coated. Now stir in the reserved strained marinade. Put the chicken back in the pot, along with the bouquet garni. Cook this for about 1 hour and 15 minutes over low heat.

Have a drink. You’re almost there …

While your chicken stews slowly in the pot, cook the bacon lardons in the small sauté pan over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it on paper towels, making sure to keep about 1 tablespoon/14 g of fat in the pan. Sauté the mushroom tops in the bacon fat until golden brown. Set them aside.

Now, in the small saucepan, combine the pearl onions, the pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons/28 g of the butter. Add just enough water to just cover the onions, then cover the pan with the parchment paper trimmed to the same size as your pan. (I suppose you can use foil if you must.) Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the water has evaporated. Keep a close eye on it. Remove the paper cover and continue to cook until the onions are golden brown. Set the onions aside and add the remaining cup/225 ml of red wine to the hot pan, scraping up all the fond on the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper and reduce over medium-high heat until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Your work is pretty much done here. One more thing and then it’s wine and kudos …

When the chicken is cooked through—meaning tender, the juice from the thigh running clear when pricked—carefully remove from the liquid, cut into quarters, and arrange on the deep serving platter. Strain the cooking liquid (again) into the reduced red wine. Now just add the bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons/28 g of butter. Now pour that sauce over the chicken and dazzle your friends with your brilliance. Serve with buttered noodles and a Bourgogne Rouge.

1 (3 1/2 lb.) flat-cut and well trimmed corned beef brisket
1 onion, studded with 10 whole cloves
3 large cloves garlic
3 large sprigs each of fresh thyme, and flat-leaf parsley, tied together
1 large bay leaf
1 tsp. mustard seed
1/4 tsp. black peppercorns
12 small (2 oz.) white onions, peeled
12 small red potatoes, well scrubbed
6 peeled carrots, cut crosswise into thirds
1 (2 lb.) head cabbage, cut into 8 wedges

1. Place beef in an 8-qt. pot. Add cold water to cover by 1 in. Cover; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 min. Skim foam from top.
2. Add onion, garlic, herb bundle, bay leaf, mustard seed and peppercorns. Cover; simmer 2 1/2 hrs. With slotted spoon, discard onion with cloves, garlic, herb bundle and bay leaf.
3. Add white onions; cover. Simmer 20 min. Add potatoes, carrots and cabbage. Cover; simmer 20 min., until beef is fork tender and vegetables are crisp tender. Remove from heat.
4. To serve: Transfer vegetables to platter, halve potatoes. Place beef on cutting board; slice thinly across grain.

2 tbs. butter
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 (1″) cinnamon stick
2 brown cardamom pods
3 whole cloves
½ tsp. black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 cup Jasmine Rice
12 oz. chicken broth
A pinch of Saffron Thread
Parmesan Cheese

1. Heat butter in medium-heavy saucepan and fry cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns and bay leaves for about 2 min.
2. Add rice and fry for about 3 min.
3. Stir in chicken broth and saffron. Bring to a boil and cover.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 min.
5. If desired, top with Parmesan cheese.
6. Before serving, remove cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and peppercorns (if desired).

Serves 4.

3 tbs. canola oil
1 (4 lb.) boneless rump roast
3 onions, sliced
2 tbs. Hungarian sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups reduced-fat, low-sodium beef broth
1 cup water
1 cup dry red wine
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. new potatoes, scrubbed
8 carrots, cut into 1½” thick pieces

1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.
3. Add the roast and sear on all sides. 8 to 10 min. (a good dark brown sear)
4. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.
5. Reduce the heat to medium.
6. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently until deep golden brown, 8 to 10 min.
7. Add the paprika, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme and garlic. Stir to combine and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds.
8. Add the broth, water and wine. Bring to a boil.
9. Return the roast plus any accumulated juices to the Dutch oven.
10. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hr.
12. Turn roast, add the potatoes, carrots and stock. If necessary, cover and bake an additional hr. or until tender.
13. Remove the pot from the oven. Transfer the roast to a warm platter.
14. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
15. Remove and discard bay leaves.
16. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
17. Spoon sauce and vegetables over roast and serve immediately.