Poulet Chasseur

Cooking is about frame of mind for me. I like to connect to real or imagined origins of a dish. The name for this dish translates to "Hunter's Chicken". I imagine a hunter, with what he has in his pack and what he's found in the woods, cooking over a fire. Simple, flavorful, ok, I just don't know where he got the chicken!

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter

1 chicken, cup up into pieces

1 onion (6oz/170g), chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

7-8 oz mushrooms, thick slice

3/4 cup red wine (be generous)

2 Tbsps tomato paste

2 springs of thyme

2 cups chicken stock

1. Heat the oil and the butter in a large lidded casserole. Season the chicken, then fry for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Add the onion to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes, until soft. 
3. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes or until the mushrooms 'sweat', then add the wine. 
4. Stir in the tomato paste. Let the sauce simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes, then stir in the thyme and pour over the stock. 
5. Slip the chicken back into the pan, then cover and simmer on a low heat for about 1 hour, whereupon the chicken will be very tender. The chicken will be ready when the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 165°F. 
6. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. Rapidly boil down the sauce until it's syrupy and the flavour has concentrated, about 10 minutes. Put the chicken legs back into the sauce and serve.

Beef Barley Stew / Soup

I have a special place in my heart for warming stews. I just love then unctuous, hot, earthy flavors that come from braising grains and vegetables and meat in a rich broth. And I love the chewy/custardy texture of barley. While this is an excellent slow-cooker recipe, it is also perfect for cooking in a far corner of the woodstove over an afternoon.

1½ to 2 lbs beef chuck (sirloin tip, top sirloin, etc) or round beef roast, in ¼" cubes (cut when half-thawed to make it easier)

⅔ tsp tsp salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

1 Tbsp oil

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 to 8 oz mushrooms, thin slice

⅔ cup red wine

1 tsp fresh thyme or 2 to 3 sprigs 

1 bay leaf

2 tsps  Dijon mustard

2 to 6 cups beef stock

⅔ cup pearl barley

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

¼ cup flat leaf parsley chopped

1. Melt/heat the oil in a large pan and when hot, add the meat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sear the meat until it is browned on all sides. Put in the slow cooker.
2. Add oil to the pan if necessary and cook the onion until it is soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook until browning. Dump into the slow cooker.
3. Add the wine to the hot pan a reduce by half or more.
4. Add 2 cups of the broth to the pan and add to the slow cooker, along with the rest of the broth.
5. Add the carrot, the thyme and bay leaf, the mustard and of course the barley.
6. Cook on high for about 6 hours or until beef is perfectly tender.
7. Before serving, stir in the parsley.

Merguez Pasta Sauce

In buying grass-fed free-range mutton and lamb, we've gotten a chance to try out the merguez sausage everyone's been talking about. Frankly, I don't see what the fuss is about but, since we got some in our box of meat, I wanted to find the most delicious way of eating it, and by George, I think I've found it.
Since the sausage tends to be fatty, cooking with wine and tomato helps to both match the flavour and cut the fattiness.

Good for 4 people as a main course.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb Merguez sausages cut into bite-sized pieces OR squeezed out of the casing and crumbled
2 garlic cloves or 2 Tbsps garlic scape paste
1 cup red or white wine
1 Tbsp tomato purée (optional)
1 can (400g) diced tomato
1 lb dry linguine (recommended)
2 Tbsps pesto
½ tsp salt (or to taste)
Permesan to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and cook the sausage until well browned. If the sausage is very fatty, drain off most of it.
2. Add the garlic (or scapes) and cook another minute.
3. Add the wine and reduce at least by half but preferably until almost gone, like a quarter cup or so.
4. Add the tomato and salt and simmer until the sauce thickens.
5. Start the salted water to boil while the sauce simmers.
6. When the pasta is al dente, drain. Add the pesto to the sauce.  Mix in the cooked pasta, or ladle on top.
7. Serve with parmesan and freshly ground pepper

Lentillette au porc salé (Lentils with salt porc)

This is one of my go-to recipes nowadays, it's so creamy and delicious. At the moment I can only get salt pork in the fall and winter months, which is fine since this is such a calorie-dense meal, it's meant for winter consumption.

Servings : 4

8 oz salt pork ⅔ cut in small cubes, ⅓ cut in matchsticks
1 onion, finely chopped
4 oz to 1 lb winter squash (or carrots or other firm, sweet veg)
1 ⅓ cup du Puy lentils
½ cup red wine
2 ⅔ cups beef or mutton stock
1 bouquet garni of 2 sprigs thyme, 2 bay leaves, 6 stems parsley (optional: 2 sprigs sage)
2 oz grated parmesan
¼ cup crème fraiche (or heavy cream)
Crusty bread, to serve.

1. Blanch the pork for about 4 minutes to remove some of the saltiness. Pat dry and let cool enough to handle.
2. Make the bouquet garni by tying together the herbs - also remove the leaves from the parsley stems, chop fine and set aside.
3. Once the pork has cooled, chop into big matchsticks. 
4. Cook the pork in a saucepan until starting to brown. Remove ⅓ and set aside. 
5. To the remaining pork in the pan, add the onion and the squash and cook just until soft. 
6. Add the lentils and continue cooking another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
7. Add the wine and allow it to evaporate completely.
8. Add the stock and the bouquet garni, along with the parsley stems. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are cooked (about 30 minutes). 
9. When cooked the lentils should still hold their form and not have become mush and most of the liquid in the pan should be gone.
10. Remove the bouquet garni.
11. Stir in the parmesan and the cream. Plate the lentils and garnish with the finely chopped parsley leaves, the bacon matchsticks, and some freshly ground black pepper.
12. Serve with crusty bread and something fresh or vinegary like pickled beets.

Spaghetti and Meatballs, that's all.

There is nothing quite so comforting as spaghetti-and-meatballs. The spicing in this recipe is a little unusual, but I really like it 'cause it seems kind of rustic. The flavour is mild and, for lack of a better way to describe it, smooth - the tomato flavour is not acidic at all. I also highly recommend making it the day before - it is even more delicious the next day.

Meatballs

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 onions (12oz/340gr) finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

1⁄2 cup ricotta cheese

2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed

1⁄4 tsp salt

3⁄4 tsp pepper

1⁄4 tsp each ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg

1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs

1⁄4 cup minced fresh parsley

1⁄4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

8 oz lean ground beef

8 oz lean ground pork

1 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil

1⁄4 cup dry red

1⁄4 cup chicken stock

1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried)

1⁄4 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 1⁄2 lb spaghetti

1. In large nonstick skillet, heat half of the oil over medium heat; fry onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
2. In large bowl, whisk together the egg, ricotta cheese, fennel seeds, 1⁄4 tsp of the salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Stir in the bread crumbs, parsley, Romano cheese and half of the onion mixture. Add the beef and pork and mix well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Wetting hands if necessary to prevent sticking, form into balls using a tablespoon as a guide. Add remaining oil to the pan. Brown meatballs over medium-high heat, in batches; with slotted spoon, transfer to plate. Pour off fat.
4. Add wine and broth to deglaze the pan. Transfer to a Dutch oven. Stir in the onion mixture, diced tomatoes and paste, half of the basil (or all dried, if using), the sugar and the remaining salt. Add the meatballs. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to refrigerator and let cool completely. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1month.)
5. Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti until tender but firm, 8 to 10 minutes; drain and return to pot.
6. Garnish with remaining basil.

Beef and Mushroom Stew in Red Wine

Size matters when it comes to your pan and properly browning your stewing meat. I use a large 12 inch stew pot. If the cubed beef is too crowded it won't brown properly and steam instead. It's the browning that gives you that rich stew flavour. I usually buy a cheap cut of meat and cut it up in my kitchen. This way I can trim off as much fat as I like and have the size of cubes I like.

4 slices bacon
2 lbs. beef chuck

4 Tbsps. flour (I use rice flour)

1 tsp. ground rosemary

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. salt
Black pepper, to taste

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups red wine

1 cup chicken broth

2 -3 carrots

1 lb. button mushroom

1. Start by creating the oil you will brown the beef in, and the best for a really rich, smoky flavor is bacon fat. Dice the bacon and cook in your stew pot over medium-high heat. Once the bacon bits are crispy and have rendered all their fat, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Then pour out all but a tablespoon of the fat and keep the rest handy.
2. Combine the flour, rosemary, thyme and salt with black pepper to powder the beef cubes until covered.
3. Brown half of the beef in the fat, browning on both sides - add fat if it isn't browning properly. Remove the first batch of beef and brown the second, including any left over flour mixture. Add fat as needed, then remove from the pot and set aside.
4. Reduce the heat to medium, mince garlic and add to pan, adding a little fat if needed. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, add the quartered mushrooms and cook until they sweat.
5. Add the red wine, stir to deglaze the pan, pour in the broth and throw in the cubed carrots and crispy bacon bits. Bring this all to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
6. Cover and cook on the stove-top until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Not So Simple Pot Roast Made Simple

Pot roasts have really been hit-and-miss with me. Sometimes I've made pot roasts to melt-in-your-mouth perfect that we ate it all in one sitting, other times the meat came out very dry. I like buying tough cuts of meat and braise them to get a lovely, moist roast, so I decided I'd trust Cooks Illustrated, which was partly the right thing to do, because the broth is delicious, but the roast itself came out dry, dry, dry. Enough is enough, I said, so I did my research and figured out what I was doing wrong.

NOTES:

1 - Use a meat thermometre. The size of the roast dictates how long it should cook for. Braising is good for tough cuts because the meat gets hotter than roasting in the oven, which allows for greater collagen break-down and moist meat. However, because braising is hotter, it cooks the meat faster, and cooking for too long is what dries out the meat. Read the recipe instructions below before cooking.

1 3lb sirloin tip roast, boneless

2 Tbsps. vegetable oil

1  onion, chopped

1  carrot, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

a couple of dried shiitake mushroom

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sugar

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup beef broth

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup dry red wine

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Wash and thoroughly pat roast dry with paper towels; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Brown roast thoroughly on all sides, reducing heat if fat begins to smoke. The entire process should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the roast to large plate to set aside. 
3. Reduce the heat to medium; cook the onion, carrot, shiitake and celery in the remaining oil, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. 
4. Add the garlic and sugar and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
5. Add the broths, the red wine and thyme, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. 
6. Return roast and any accumulated juices to the pot; add enough water to come halfway up the sides of the roast (half-way up is essential for proper braising). Bring liquid to simmer over medium heat, then place large piece of foil over the pot and cover tightly with the lid. Transfer the pot to the oven. 
7. Cook, turning the roast every 30 minutes, until fully tender and meat fork or when a sharp knife easily slips in and out of the meat, and the internal temperature reaches 130-140F (internal temperature will rise another 5-10 degrees while resting), about 1:30 to 2 hours.
8. Transfer the roast to a carving board; tent with foil to keep warm, and let rest 10 minutes. Meanwhile, allow the liquid in pot to settle for about 5 minutes, then use a wide spoon to skim any fat off the surface and discard the sprig of thyme. Boil over high heat until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Using a chef’s or carving knife, cut the meat against the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices, or pull apart into large pieces; transfer the meat to a warmed serving platter and pour about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the meat. Serve, passing remaining the sauce separately.

Boeuf aux carrottes

This is an odd recipe. While cooking, it smells good, then smells really bad, then smells good again.  But power through, because it's a really, really tasty stew. And it's good to be surprised.

Boeuf aux carrottes

4 lbs. stewing beef, cut into chunks (bones left on if there are bones)

salt and pepper to season

1 oz. of (preferably thick) bacon, cut into paper clip-sized pieces

2 Tbsps. oil, more if needed

2 medium onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

2 Tbsps. Jerez vinegar or red wine vinegar

3 cups beef stock

3 cups dry red or white wine

1 bay leaf

1 celery stalk, cut into two

1 bouquet parsley (small bunch tied together with string to be removed later)

1 bouquet thyme (small bunch tied together with string to be removed later)

4 black peppercorns

3 lbs. large carrots, thickly sliced

1. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large casserole, fry the bacon until cooked, 7 minutes. Remove, and set aside. Add half the oil and fry the onions until soft, adding the garlic towards the end, 10 minutes total. Remove into the same bowl as the bacon. Add the remaining oil to the pot and brown the meat well in batches on both sides, 3 minutes per side. Remove into the bowl with the bacon and onions.
2. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, scraping up the good bits from the bottom. When the vinegar has almost disappeared, add the wine. Now, put the meat, bacon, onions, and garlic back in the pot. Pour over the stock, adding more water if needed to cover.
3. Wrap the bay leaf, celery, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns together in a bundle, and tie with a string. Add it to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for an hour and a half.
4. Add the carrots and continue cooking for half an hour, until they are tender. Discard the string-tied bundle of flavourings.
5. Cool the contents completely, cover, and refrigerate overnight. (You can actually eat it straight away, but it's one of those things which is always better the next day.) To serve, bring to a simmer for half an hour, until the sauce has reduced to gravy consistency.