Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [27]
3. Stir in the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, or until translucent and very fragrant, stirring frequently. Crumble in the rosemary, oregano, pepper, and saffron, then stir in the tomatoes and rice. Nestle the sausage pieces and chicken thighs into the rice mixture. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
4. Stir in the shrimp, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the peas. Keep covered and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
NOTE: Chorizo is a Spanish or Mexican sausage. The widely available Mexican version is raw and needs to be cooked thoroughly; the Spanish version is smoked and needs only to be warmed up. Use either in this dish. Because the chorizo and the canned tomatoes are loaded with salt, there’s no additional salt in the dish; but you can add a little more to taste, if you wish.
COQ AU VIN makes 2 servings
Coq au vin is traditionally a two-day affair of marinating chicken in wine, then slowly building a stew with layered flavors. Wonderful, yes, if not exactly everyday cooking, whether made for two or twenty. But streamlined somewhat, it’s still soothing and delicious—here, a deeply-flavored stew of chicken quarters and bacon cooked in red wine. Serve this casserole on a bed of mashed potatoes, mashed acorn squash, a scoop of white rice, or egg noodles. Use half of a standard 750-ml bottle of wine, preferably a dark Rhône bottling like a Gigondas, for the chicken, and drink the rest with dinner; or buy a “split” of red wine, a 375-ml bottle, and use all of it in this dish.
3 slices smoked bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 chicken leg quarters (about 1¼ pounds total)
1 small onion, minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
½ bottle dry red wine
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, or ½ teaspoon minced dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon celery seeds
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or brandy
1. Heat a 3-quart Dutch oven or 3-quart pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry about 5 minutes, or until very crisp, turning a few times. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the rendered fat in the pot.
2. With the pot still over medium heat, add the chicken and brown it for 6 minutes, turning once. You may need to shake the pan vigorously or nudge the chicken pieces around the pan to keep them from sticking. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon. Do not remove any of the pan drippings; maintain the heat under the pot.
3. Add the onion and garlic; cook for just 1 minute, stirring constantly, then stir in the flour, incorporating it thoroughly into the fat in the pan. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, or until the flour begins to brown, stirring constantly.
4. Raise the heat to medium-high and pour in the wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for about 1 minute, or until the wine is reduced and somewhat thickened. Return the bacon, chicken pieces, and any accumulated juices to the pot. Stir in the thyme, rosemary, celery seed, and bay leaf. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium skillet or sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the mushrooms; cook for 4 minutes, or until they give off their liquid, stirring occasionally.
6. Carefully add the Grand Marnier or brandy to the skillet with the mushrooms. Stand back—the alcohol can ignite. (If it does, cover the skillet and remove it from the heat for 20 seconds to put the flames out.) Continue cooking for about 3 additional minutes, scraping up any browned bits in the pan, until the liquid reduces to a glaze. Cover and set aside off the heat.
7. After the chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, stir the