Thursday 3rd September: Cor blimey!

I like this … I like this challenge.
So before I tell you what I made I’d like to tell you a bit of the story behind it. (It’s not very long or exciting I’m just trying to boost read time and tension so … yay?) I like chicken. Like, really like chicken. One of the first dishes that I learned to make was Poulet Basquaise, still one of my best dishes. But I’ve never really dealt with a whole chicken before.

So I decided that I would start with a whole chicken and then learn how to dissect it and then cut it up to cook. And that’s exactly what I did. With guidance and help from Dad.

Okay, enough read time wasted. I made Coq au Vin. Inside the recipe I also have to make Braised Onions and Butter Sautéd Mushrooms. So 3 recipes. It went wellll. I boiled the bacon for 10 minutes and fried the 18 whole onions in tons of butter for half an hour (in different pans of course). Then I fried the bacon in a big pan, and then added the chicken to brown. I added the bacon back in and cooked for 10 minutes and then added cognac and set it alight. I then added wine and cooked for about 20 minutes (perfect for the thighs/legs but a bit too much for the breasts).

I then removed the chicken, reduced the sauce and added a beurre manié (a kind of thickener which is 1 part butter 1 part flour) and whisked. Then I added the chicken back in, and then all the veg. Served. I ended up with an awesomely cooked piece of chicken, with a lusciously glossy sauce, bits of bacon and eat-your-heart-out onions. Truly a good dish.

I hope you liked reading today. I’ll be here at lunch tomorrow. I won’t be here for supper and the next day because I’m going to a friend’s house and I’ll be off work. Bye!

J’espère que vous avez aimé. Je serais là demain midi. Je ne serais pas là le soir ou samedi parce que je vais chez une amie et je vais pas travailler. Salut!