Chicken recipes for the Autumn
I’ve been doing a lot of cooking lately at Winesleuth HQ and I have a few recipes here in association with Schwartz that I think are perfect for this Autumnal weather.
Creating wonderful meals with chicken
Chicken is often regarded as a rather boring fowl. If you use a free-range bird and create a recipe with wine and fresh herbs, you may soon change your opinion about this humble farmyard animal.
A variety of recipe ideas
One of the best things about chicken is that you can just poach it with a few herbs and have a tasty, low-fat meal served with salad or you can elevate it to the gastronomic heights so beloved of Escoffier and other maestros. You could even use a chicken recipe that includes champagne among its ingredients for a truly festive occasion and you know how I adore champagne! The important point to remember is that chicken recipes can be as plain or diverse as you wish.
Coq au vin
This family favourite originates from France and the recipe has altered over the years. The original calls for a rooster from Bresse with the addition of a good red wine from Burgundy. Don’t worry if roosters are thin on the ground in your neighbourhood; a good plump chicken that you can divide into portions will suffice. The most important thing to do is to allow two days for the preparation of this meal. A nice Coteaux de Bourgogne rouge would be a good choice for this dish. You don’t have to break the bank for a bottle of Coteaux and it’s tasty, too!
Method for success
Take a bottle of good red wine, (cheap wine will taste bitter and will not enhance the dish) and prepare a marinade with carrots, garlic and peppercorns and simmer for a short while. Add the marinade to the chicken pieces and cover. Once you’ve allowed the mixture to rest for at least a day, remove the chicken. Now take bacon, shallots and the flour coated chicken pieces and fry them in a heavy casserole dish.
Season well and add the wine marinade and fresh thyme and a bay leaf to the mixture. Simmer for around 40 minutes, remove chicken and vegetables and allow the sauce to reduce. ‘Et voila,’ as the French would say.
Chicken with a wine sauce
A less elaborate method of cooking chicken with wine is to lightly sauté some chicken pieces in a pan. Add herbs and garlic and some field mushrooms, and remember to season well. Once the mixture is cooked, remove from the pan and deglaze the receptacle with some good white wine, a Pinot Blanc is delicious and when the sauce is bubbling, reduce the heat. You can now add some Crème Fraiche or double cream if you like and serve the sauce together with the chicken and vegetables. This is an easy meal that will impress your friends.
I hope you find these recipes easy to make and enjoyable too.