Ce ee a 264 CHAPTER SIX: POULTRY green vegetable, Serve with it a young, full-bodied red Burgundy, Beaujolais, or Cétes du Rhéne. For 4 to 6 people A 3- to g-ounce chunk of Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons ean bacon (rectangles ¥4 inch across and 1 inch long). Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in cold water. Dry. A heavy, ro-inch, fireproof Sauté the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very casserole or an clectric lightly browned (temperature of 260 degrees for an skillet electric skillet). Remove to a side dish. | 2. Tb butter 2% to 3 Ibs cutup frying Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat chicken in the casserole (360 degrees for the electric skillet). Ye tsp salt Season the chicken. Return the bacon to the casserole % tsp pepper with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly (300 de- grees) for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once. % cup cognac 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, 3 cups young, full-bodied Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough red wine such as Bur- stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the gundy, Beaujolais, Cétes tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to the simmer. du Rhéne, or Chianti Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, or un- 1 to 2 cups brown chicken til the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yel- stock, brown stock, or low when the meats pricked with a fork, Remove the canned beef bouillon chicken to a side dish, ¥ Th tomato paste 2 cloves mashed garlic V4 tsp thyme x bay leaf 12 to 24 brown-braised on- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and ions, page 483 mushrooms. ¥% Ib. sautéed mushrooms, Page 513(CHICKEN FRICASEE 265 Salt and pepper Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for a minute or two, skimming off fat, Then raise heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2¥% cups. Correct seasoning. Remove from heat, and discard bay le: 3 Tb flour Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth 2 Tb softened butter paste (beurre manié). Beat the paste into the hot A saucer liquid with a wire whip. Bring to the simmer, stir- A rubber spatula ring, and simmer for a minute or two. The sauce A wire whip should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. Arrange the chicken in the casserole, place the mush- rooms 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. It can now wait indefinitely. Shortly before serving, bring to the simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is hot through. Sprigs of fresh parsley Serve from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with sprigs of parsley. tite Bin vets Ne sre ieee et te ee BROILED CHICKEN POULETS GRILLES A LA DIABLE [Chicken Broiled with Mustard, Herbs, and Bread Crumbs] Here is a fine method for broiled chicken which is good either hot or cold. The chicken is partially cooked under the broiler, then smeared with mustard and herbs, rolled in fresh bread crumbs, and returned to the broiler to brown and finish cooking. A practical attribute is that it can be almost entirely cooked ahead of time, set aside or refrigerated, and then finished off in the oven, With the mustard dip, a sauce is not a necessity. But if you want one, serve melted butter mixed with lemon juice and minced herbs, or sauce diableONIONS: 483 Ee ca eee %* OIGNONS GLACES A BRUN [Brown-braised Onions] Brown-braised onions are used whenever you wish a brown effect, such as in brown fricassees like cog au vin and boeuf bourguignon, or in a mixture with other vegetables. For 18 to 24 peeled white onions about x inch in di- ameter: 14 Tb butter 14 Tb oil A 9 to xoinch enameled skillet ¥% cup of brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water Salt and pepper to taste A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, % bay leaf, and % tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth, When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown ac evenly as possible. Be careful not to breale their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uni formly, Then either braise them as follows: Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 4o to 50 min- tutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid hae evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Serve them as they are, or follow one of the suggestions at the end of the recipe. Or bake them as follows: ‘Transfer the onions and their sautéing fat toa shallow baking dish or casserole just large enough to hold them in one layer. Set uncovered in upper third of a preheated 35odegree oven for 40 to 50 minutes, turn ing 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 or ac- cording to one of the following suggestions. (*) The onions may be cooked hours in advance, and reheated before serving.MUSHROOMS 513 2% CHAMPIGNONS SAUTES AU BEURRE i [Sautéed Mushrooms] | Use these mushrooms either as a vegetable alone or in a combination with other vegetables, or as an integral part of such dishes as cog au vin, boeuf bour- guignon, poulet en cocotte, Successfully sautéed mushrooms are lightly browned and exude none of their juice while they are being cooked; to achieve this the mushrooms must be dry, the butter very hot, and the mushrooms must not be crowded in the pan. If you sauté too many at once they steam rather } than fry; their juices escape and they do not brown. So if you are preparing a large amount, or if your heat source is feeble, sauté the mushrooms in several batches. A soinch enameled skillet 2 Tb butter 1 Tb oil ¥s tb. fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or | quartered if large Optional: x to 2 Tb minced shallots or green onions 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 mush- rooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In2 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 with the mushrooms. Sauté over moderate heat for 2 minutes. (*) Sautéed mushrooms may be cooked in advance, set aside, then reheated when needed. Season to taste just before serving. VARIATIONS Champignons Sautés a la Bordelaise [Mushrooms Sautéed with Shallots, Garlic, and Herbs] ‘These may garnish a meat or vegetable platter. ¥% Ib. fresh mushrooms, 7 whole if small, quartered if large x Tb oil 2 Th butter Sauté the mushrooms in oil and butter until lightly browned.