Foodie Friday | The Little Paris Kitchen
It should come as no surprise to you by now that I have an ongoing love affair with Chronicle Books. I discovered them last year while I was in San Francisco, and it was as if I had stumbled upon a publisher who had been quietly crafting beautiful volumes just for me. They most definitely have my number, and this latest discovery is no exception.
I confess this cookbook had an instant shortcut to my heart, parceque j’adore Paris. I have only been twice, but it is now the city against which all of my other travels are compared. It is the city where I imagine my most romantic getaways with my husband will forever take place. The architecture, the culture, the art, the people, the food. Lord help me, the food. Parisians know how to transform eating into an artform, from the simplest of unpretentious dishes to the most decadent in haute cuisine. From eating cheese from a local fromagerie {enjoyed with a nice bottle of red} in the gardens of Les Tuileries, accompanied by the melodious greetings of “bon apetit” as locals walked by, to indulging in gastronomic creations in restaurants, some of my favourite “food memories” are from Paris.
For those of us who are longing to recreate our French foodie fantasies in our own little kitchens here at home, Rachel Khoo – who didn’t speak a word of French when she courageously enrolled in the world-famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris – has immersed herself in the language and art of French cooking and now translates French classics for real life foodies in her newly released cookbook The Little Paris Kitchen.
The “test kitchen” for Rachel’s cookbook was indeed a little kitchen in Paris. Tiny in fact. With just a two-burner stove and seating for “up to two,” Rachel began accommodating guests who came to experience her modern twists on classic French dishes from around the country. The 120-page volume is filled with modern and accessible recipes for quintessentially French home cooking to share with your family and friends.
Given that Spring seems to have finally sprung, I thought I would share a recipe that invites a bit of time outside working on the grill. As you already know, I love Coq Au Vin, and I can’t wait to try this uniquely fresh twist on the French Classic!
Coq au vin on skewers
Cockerel stewed in red wine for several hours is traditional coq au vin. I thought I’d shake that
on its head and make a barbecue version with a red wine dipping sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
• a knob of butter
• 1½ lb boned chicken legs, with skin on*
• 2 large carrots, cut into large chunks
• 8 small button onions, peeled and left whole
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 8 small button mushrooms, brushed or peeled
• 8 barbecue skewers—if they’re bamboo, soak them in water for at least an hour before using
To make the marinade : Fry the garlic and onion in the butter until golden brown. Add the thyme and bay leaves and cook for another minute before adding the wine. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Leave to cool.
Cut the chicken into large chunks, place in a large plastic container with the lardons, and add the cold marinade. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours (best overnight).
Lift the chicken and lardons out of the marinade, then strain through a sieve. Measure 1 ¼ cups marinade, pour it into a pan and set aside. Put the carrots, potatoes and onions into a large pan of cold salted water and bring to a boil. Parboil for 5 minutes, then drain the vegetables into a sieve and hold under cold running water for 2 minutes. Leave to cool.
On a high heat, reduce the marinade by half before adding the vinegar. Mix the cornstarch to a thin paste with some water, whisk into the sauce, and boil for 5 minutes or until the consistency of heavy cream. Add the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it down in direct contact with the sauce. Keep the sauce warm until needed.
Thread the chicken onto the skewers, alternating with the lardons, parboiled vegetables and mushrooms.
Brush with the olive oil before cooking on the barbecue (or indoors on a griddle pan) for around 5 minutes, turning regularly. To check the chicken is cooked, cut a piece open—the juices should run clear, not red or pink. Serve with the sauce (reheated in a pan or microwave if necessary).
* Chicken legs have more flavor and tend to be juicier than breast, or you could use boneless chicken
thighs (skin on) instead. Breast meat will be fine too, as long as you are careful not to overcook it.
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 20 minutes
