Chicken Florentine With Spring Vegetable And Double Potato Hash And Red Wine Demi Glace Recipes

CHICKEN WITH FLORENTINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Flatten chicken to 1/2-in. thickness. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the Parmesan cheese, basil and oregano. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. , In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in 2 tablespoons butter for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 170°. Remove and keep warm. , In the same skillet, saute onions in remaining butter for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Gradually add flour and salt; stir in milk and sherry or broth until blended. , Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in spinach and pimientos; heat through. , Remove from the heat. Stir in sour cream until blended. Spoon over chicken; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

RIB ROAST WITH RED WINE DEMI-GLACE AND ROASTED WHITE POTATOES AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, make a paste with garlic, shallots, salt, pepper and enough of the canola oil to bind the paste (about 1/4 cup). Place the beef in a roasting pan and rub paste onto meat. Roast in oven for about 1 1/2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers an internal temperature of 120 degrees F. (Arrange the oven racks so you will have room for the potatoes and asparagus to follow.)
• While roast is in oven, prepare demi-glace by melting the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan and sauteing the onion until tender. Whisk in flour with a fork to make a roux, then add red wine and veal stock. Let simmer over medium heat for about 1 hour, until reduced by 1/3, stirring occasionally. In a large bowl, coat potatoes with about 1/2 cup of the remaining canola oil and toss with salt, pepper, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary.
• When the roast has been cooking for about 1 hour, place the potatoes in a baking pan and put into the oven. Place the asparagus in a single layer on another baking pan. When the potatoes have been roasting for 30 minutes, drain the oil and herbs from the potatoes and pour over the asparagus. Remove the roast, if done, and allow to rest for about 15 minutes. Return the potatoes to the oven, along with the asparagus. Roast the vegetables until tender, about another 15 minutes while the rib roast is resting. To finish the demi-glace, whisk butter into the warm reduction until combined. Slice the rib roast and arrange on a large platter. Arrange the potatoes and asparagus around the meat, drizzling demi-glace sauce on the meat.

CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOM DEMI-GLACE AND FIGS

Steps:

• Place the dried shiitakes into a small bowl and cover with hot water for about 30 minutes to allow them to re-hydrate.
• Rinse the chicken to remove any residue and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the mesquite seasoning onto all the chicken parts. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large saute pan, brown the chicken on all sides and place on a baking sheet. Transfer the chicken to the oven and bake until the juices run clear and the chicken is fork tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest.
• While the chicken is in the oven, prepare the tomato demi-glace.
• Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and saute the red onion, celery and garlic until they begin to caramelize lightly, being careful not to burn them. Deglaze the pan with the red wine, and when most of the alcohol has evaporated, add the vegetables, stock, tomatoes, parsley leaves, and thyme. Return to a gentle boil and let the liquid reduce by half, then strain into a small bowl.
• Strain the mushrooms through paper towels to reserve the soaking liquid. Use 1/2 cup of the mushroom soaking liquid in a small saucepan to make the sauce by whisking in the demi-glace. Heat for a few minutes to let the flavors integrate. Remove from heat and fold in the mushrooms.
• Cut the figs in half lengthwise. Arrange the chicken on serving dish, spoon some sauce on top and garnish with figs.

DEMI-GLACE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Pour the oil into a metal roasting pan and put it in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes to heat up the pan and condition it with the oil. Spread the bones out on the roasting pan and cook until browned, 30 to 45 minutes, turning the bones occasionally so they brown evenly.
• Transfer the bones to a large-enough stockpot to accommodate the bones, 6 quarts ice water and more. Use tongs to transfer the bones so you do not pour any fat into the stockpot. Add the ice water to the stockpot and bring to a simmer. Allow the stock to cook for 4 hours at a slow simmer. Skim the surface of the stock occasionally to remove any fat or impurities.
• While the stock is simmering, discard all but about 1/4 cup of the fat from the roasting pan. Bring the pan back up to temperature over high heat on the stovetop. Add the onions and carrots and cook until golden brown and caramelized. Add the celery and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, thyme and bay leaf and cook, stirring regularly, until the tomato paste gets a brick red color, about 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of the red wine and stir it into the mirepoix (vegetable) mixture.
• Add the mirepoix mixture to the stock after the 4-hour simmering time. Bring the stock back up to a simmer and continue to cook it for another 2 hours.
• In a separate pot, bring the remaining 7 cups red wine to a boil and cook until reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes.
• When the stock has simmered for 6 hours, strain it through a chinois and combine the strained stock with the reduced red wine. Bring the stock to a boil, lower the heat to a hard simmer and reduce the stock until it has a consistency that coats the back of spoon and is about 2 quarts (8 cups) in volume, up to 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper and then strain the sauce though a chinois again.

CHICKEN IN RED WINE WITH ONIONS, MUSHROOMS AND BACON: COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4-inch across and 1-inch long). Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in cold water. Dry.
• In a heavy large heavy bottomed casserole or Dutch oven, saute the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very lightly browned (temperature of 260 degrees F for an electric skillet). Remove to a side dish.
• Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat in the casserole. (360 degrees F for the electric skillet.)
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly (300 degrees F) for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.
• Uncover, and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside.
• Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. Remove the chicken to a side dish.
• While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.
• Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for 1 to 2 minutes, skimming off fat. Then raise the heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Correct seasoning. Remove from heat, and discard bay leaf.
• Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (beurre manie). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to the simmer, stirring and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
• Arrange the chicken in a casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it and baste with the sauce. If the dish is not to be served immediately, film the top of the sauce with stock or dot with small pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered for no longer than 1 hour or cool, cover and refrigerate until needed.
• Shortly before serving, bring the casserole to a simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is heated through.
• Serve from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with sprigs of parsley.
• When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.
• Braise them as follows: Pour in the stock, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 15 to 20 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.
• Bake them as follows: Transfer the onions and their sauteing fat to a shallow baking dish or casserole just large enough to hold them in 1 layer. Set uncovered in upper third of a preheated 350 degree F oven for 40 to 50 minutes, turning them over once or twice. They should be very tender, retain their shape and be a nice golden brown. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are.
• Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.
• Toss the shallots or green onions, if using, with the mushrooms. Saute over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Sauteed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving.