Winey Chicken

While flipping through this month’s Gourmet Magazine, this particular recipe caught my eye. Its the Alsatian version of Coq Au Vin, which is one of my favorite braised dishes. Instead of the usual red wine, this recipe calls for a Riesling from the Alsace region of France, and is finished off with a small amount of cream or creme fraiche. This recipe was incredibly quick and had very little prep. It does have a shockingly large amount of leeks, which made me a little dubious of the outcome. When the leeks cooked, however, they lent a delicious flavor to the sauce. Just make sure you have some crusty French Bread to sop up the amazing sauce. Wonderful!

chicken_veggies_02.jpg

chicken_veggies.jpg

Chicken in Riesling Recipe

1 whole chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds, cut into 8 pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
4 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only) finely chopped, 2 cups
2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
4 medium carrots, halved diagonally
1 c dry white wine (preferably Alsatian Riesling)
1 1/2 small (2-inch) red potatoes
2 tbsp finely chopped flat parsley
1/2 c creme fraiche or heavy cream
fresh lemon juice to taste
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil with 1 tbsp of the butter in a heavy 3 to 5 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the foam subsides. Brown chicken in 2 batches, turning once, about 1 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a plate.

2. Cook leeks leeks and shallots in the remaining 2 tbsp butter, covered, over medium-low heat until pale golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from the plate, carrots and wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half., 3 to 4 minutes. Cover pot and braise chicken in oven until cooked through, 20 t0 25 minutes.

3. While chicken braises, peel potatoes, then generously cover with cold water in a 2 to 3 quart saucepan and add 1 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain in a colander, then return to the sauce pan. Add parsley and shake to coat.

4. Stir creme fraiche or cream into the chicken mixture and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Then add potatoes.

Note: I would change this next time by adding another 1/2 cup of wine and maybe 1/2 cup of chicken stock, and cooking the potatoes with the chicken.

March 10, 2008 | Filed Under Chicken, Dinner

 

Critiques & Opinions

3 Critiques to “Winey Chicken”

  1. Rolanda on March 10th, 2008 11:27 am

    Mmmmh! Too nice to eat !

  2. Ashley on March 10th, 2008 8:51 pm

    i agree this looks too good to actually eat! seriously, every thing you make looks amazing!!

  3. Rachel on March 17th, 2008 1:02 pm

    Redwood Creek Wines Campfire Classic is back for a third year. Enter your original campfire recipe for the chance to win a $10,000 grand prize and a $5,000 donation to your favorite national park! That’s a lot of money, folks…and how fun?!

    Anyway, I submitted my signature meal at RedwoodCreek.com today, and thought I’d spread the word to all you food, wine, and outdoor lovers. The deadline to submit your recipe is April 15th…so you have plenty of time (plus, it’s super easy).

    A twist to the cook-off this year is that it’s hitting the road, making stops in Fort Worth, D.C., Seattle and Chicago before the Finals in NYC at the end of June. The winner of each regional event will win a trip to NYC in June to cook-off for the chance to win the $10K!

    Here’s the link: http://www.redwoodcreek.com/campfire.

    Good luck!

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