Coq Au Vin

This week our homework assignment for Culinary Foundations course was to make "Coq Au Vin" at home. Coq Au Vin means cut up marinated chicken. It is a French braised chicken cooked with red wine (typically burgundy), lardons (or bacon), mushrooms, onion (white pearl onions), optionally garlic. Thyme, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and parsley are typically used for seasoning this dish.

Although the word "coq" in French means "rooster", most Coq Au Vin recipes call for capon or chicken. Tough birds with lots of connective tissue benefit from braising,

Rooster is used in the classic version of Coq Au Vin but if it is not available, one can use thigh and leg meat, which is high in fat and connective tissue.

The juices are thickened either by making a small roux at the beginning of cooking. I thickened my red wine sauce by adding flour to it while simmering.

You will find many recipes on the Internet, including one by famous Chef Julia Child. I saw Alton Brown’s 11 minute show about Coq Au Vin on U Tube. It was very informative. I was little nervous at first but instead of following the recipe verbatim, I decided to memorize the main steps and decided to eye-ball all the ingredients (instead of measuring). I used chicken thighs, white diced onion (in place of pearl onions), bacon, diced raw tomatoes, chopped garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, chicken stock, and red wine.

I browned my bacon first, followed by onions, and then mushrooms. They were set aside in a dish with raw diced tomatoes. Then I braised chicken thighs (seasoned with salt and pepper) in the same pan using extra butter. Later I deglazed the pan using red wine and chicken stock to which I added fresh thyme, bay leaf, and simmered it for 5 minutes. Then I thickened the sauce by adding some flour and butter. Braised chicken, onion, mushrooms, bacon and tomatoes were returned to the pan and simmered for another 10 minutes.

This recipe turned out pretty good. Kids loved it too. We enjoyed this chicken dish with garlic bread and spinach salad.

Fried Catfish

Last week I cooked some fried catfish dishes. I like cooking fish for two reasons, one it is easy to cook and the other that fish is healthy alternative to meat. However, when you make fried catfish, you defeat second purpose. Any ways--here are those recipes.

Blackened Catfish fingers with creamy tomato sauce : This dish was made by our Culinary Foundation's instructor, Chef Jeff Snow. He made that dish in our kitchen on the fly! This tasty dish is simple and easy to make. Cut catfish fillets lengthwise to make fingers. Coat presentation side of catfish with some blackening seasoning (consisting of salt, onion & garlic powder, and ground spices such as paprika, oregano, thyme, balk pepper) and sauté on medium heat in a shallow pan. After catfish fillets are all fried/sautéed, deglaze the pan using white wine; add some butter, tomatoes, spinach and some black pepper and salt to this pan. Add some heavy whipping cream and let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes. Pour this sauce over fried catfish and serve



Mint Chutney Marinated Catfish: If you like green herbs and hot green chili, you will love this dish. First make chutney using fresh mint leaves, cilantro, green chilies, garam masalam (Indian spice blend of containing cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, red pepper, black pepper, cumin and coriander), some olive oil and salt to taste. Coat catfish fillets with this green mint chutney and refrigerated for 1 hr (to marinate).

Prepare a breading mixture with rice flour and cream of wheat (I also add some salt and red pepper to this breading). Coat marinated fish with this breading on both the sides and sauté on medium heat. Rice flour makes crust very crispy. It is our favorite dish which goes well with white rice and curry/thin sauce made with coconut milk and raw mango extract (which has distinct tart flavor). I also add ginger and garlic paste to Coconut milk & mango, which is then tempered with hot oil, curry leaves, mustard seeds and later garnished with fresh cilantro leaves.

Mithai (Indian Sweet):

Mitahi is an Indian sweet or confectionary made with sugar, milk, condensed milk etc and nuts or fruits are often added to this confection. These sweets are used for deserts or give away-snacks during celebratory functions.

Ingredients:
1 can of Condensed Milk
1 stick butter stick
2 cups nonfat dry milk

½ cups chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans and/or almonds)
1 pinch saffron
Thin edible silver film

Method:
Melt butter in a nonstick saucepan on low heat.
Add condensed milk and keep stirring until it starts simmering.
Add nuts, saffron, nonfat dry milk and continue cooking and stirring until it forms a nice loose, lump.
Pour this cooked mixture in a greased baking dish and smooth over using a spatula or pat down using butter paper.
Carefully apply thin layer of edible silver film over mithai and let it cool.
Cut square pieces and serve.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for a week or two.

Arzak Egg

Arzak egg, also known as “flower egg” is a signature dish that was popularized by a very famous spanish Chef called Juan Mari Arzak.

Arzak employs an unusual method of poaching an egg which looks like a flower after cooking. In this method raw egg is gently placed in plastic wrap seasoned with truffle oil and duck or goose fat.

This plastic-wrapped egg is then gently poached in simmering water until egg whites are set and inside yolk is tender and runny. After cooking is completer, plastic wrap is opened and poached egg now looks like a flower. This beautiful poached egg flower can be used to garnished with breadcrumbs, parsley and some sauce

Roasted Eggplant (Bringal Bharata):

Eggplant Bharata is a very simple and tasty dish my mom used to make using all fresh ingredients. All these ingredients are easy to find and recipe is very quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 Large dark purple Eggplant
1 big red onion
3-4 Green Chilies (sliced lengthwise)
1 inch Ginger minced (or ½ tsp paste)
2-3 Garlic cloves minced (or ½ tsp paste)
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Tsp Black mustard seeds
½ Tsp Asafetida
½ Tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp cilantro/coriander leaves (chopped)

Method:
1. Generously slather oil on eggplant and roast it over an open flame on gas stove or grill, rotating it every 2 minutes until all sides are cooked or charred. When eggplant is cooked, it starts peeling and becomes mushy. Remove cooked eggplant from the flame and let it cool for few minutes. Remove the stems and charred peels of eggplant carefully. Mash cooked eggplant with potato masher or fork to make pulp and set it aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan or wok and add asafetida. Add mustard seeds, when they start making spluttering, add turmeric, green chilies and onions. Sauté until onions are soft, and transparent, and golden brown in color.
3. Add eggplant pulp, ginger, garlic, and salt and continue cooking on medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with chapatti or flat bread.

You can also broil or bake (combination works the best) eggplant in oven at 400 F for an hour if grilling is not an option.

Arzak Egg

Arzak Egg, also know as "flower egg" is a signature dish popularized by a famous spanish Chef called Juan Mari Arzak.

Arzak emplyes an unusual method of poaching an egg which lools like a flower after cooking. In this method, a raw egg is cracked and gently placed in a plastic wrap, seasoned with truffle oil and duck or goose fat. Egg used for preparing Arzak egg shoudl be very fresh. When cracked egg is placed in the plastic wra egg yolk should be firm egg adn evenly surrounded by egg whites.

The plastic wrapped egg is then poached in simming water until the egg whites are set and inside yollk is tender and runny.

After cooking is complete and when plastic wrap is openen, poached egg looks like a flower. This beautiful poached "flower egg" then can be garnished with bread crumbs, parsley and some sauce (like cauliflower sauce).

Onsen Tamago

Onsen Tamago means eggs cooked in hot springs. Onsen means ‘hot spring’ in Japanese. Onsen Tamago is a gorgeous egg dish commonly served as a breakfast item at hot springs hotels in Japan. The temperatures of the hot springs (ie below boiling point) are perfect for poaching these eggs so lightly that egg whites are soft and yolks are slightly hardened.

In this hot spring cooking method the eggs are ‘poached’ inside the shells. When ready, crack open cooked egg and gently slide it in a bowl of dashi/soy sauce mixture. You can garnish it with thinly chopped spring onions.
You can make Onsen Tamago at home using rice cooker. After rice is cooked, these rice cookers are switched to “keep warm” mode. Wrap egg in a paper towel and put it on top of cooked rice in the rice cooker and let it steam-cook at low temperature for about an hour. Always use fresh eggs to make Onsen Tamago or poached egg yolk is nicely surrounded by egg white.