GWAI LO INC. - Gwai Lo Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin

Wine: Pinot Noir

Serves 4

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

INGREDIENTS
4 lb. chicken, cut into eight pieces
1 bottle of Beaujolais - or other light French red wine
4 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
12 blanched pearl onions
8 strips of bacon cooked golden brown
Sea Salt not too much as the bacon adds salt
2 Bay leaves
1 and 1/2 inch sprig of fresh Rosemary
10 peppercorns
NOTE: You'll need a 4" square piece of cheesecloth and a 4"
piece of string for the "bouquet garni".

Prepare the dish
Take a 4 lb. chicken, cut it into 8 pieces and put in the marinade. Brown the chicken and put in a bowl and cover to keep warm. Add four more tbsp. of butter to the pan and heat it, add six tbsp. of flour and make a brown roux (Cook the flour and butter together over medium heat until brown). Add 1 bottle of Beaujolais; Add the blanched, peeled pearl onions. Fry and brown the bacon and set aside. When the sauce is smooth, the the piece of cheesecloth, make a bouquet garni with sprigs of parsley; 2 bay leaves, a little fresh rosemary black pepper corns tie it with the string and add it to the braising pot. Add the chicken to the sauce, add the onions, add the bacon, cover it and bake it in a 350° oven for 45 minutes.

You can cook it on top of the stove if you are careful not to burn it. Clean the mushrooms, fry on high heat without moving them add salt and pepper. When the chicken is ready add the mushrooms and serve!

Vegetables

Makes 6 small 4 large Croquettes

Pomme Croquette

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. potatoes - medium starch such as Yukon Gold
2 egg yolks
1 egg
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup flour
1 egg for the egg wash
2 ounces of milk (not skim) for the egg wash
2 cups breadcrumbs

METHOD
Boil 1 lb. of yukon gold potatoes. Drain, dry over heat, rice them or mash them well. Mix with 2 yolks and one egg and 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese & pinch of nutmeg. Cool. Shape them into cylinders. Dip them into flour, then egg wash (the egg and milk mixed together), then coat them with breadcrumbs. Deep fry them until golden brown. Serve hot.

GREENS:
Salt and blanch then lightly fry ("sweat" fry without colouring) the asparagus speas and then blanch and "sweat" the carrot stcks when cool, tie them with blanched green onion cut into strips. Wrap in foil, heat in the oven with the chicken 15 minutes before serving. When serving, remove the foil.

Orange Vanilla Custard

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
2 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
zest of 4 oranges
2 vanilla beans
1 tbsp. sugar for the top
4 egg yolks
2 eggs
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. cornstarch
4 tbsp. sugar
12 biscuits for serving
1/2 cup of brown sugar for browning

METHOD
Bring 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of cream and one cup of water to a boil. Add the zest of 4 oranges and 2 vanilla beans. Steep in the pot for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat 4 eggs yolks with 2 eggs and 2 tbsp. flour and 2 tbsp. cornstarch together and add 4 tbsp. sugar. Take the vanilla bean out and pour the mixture while whisking until fully incorporated. Put on the heat and whisk while bringing to a boil. Once boiled, take off the heat and continue to beat for a few minutes.

Pour into individual ramekins and cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. To serve: sprinkle the brown sugar over top and brown in the oven, or put some whipped cream and candied flowers on top. Serve with a biscuit or two.

Tip 1
When buying pots and pans be aware of the following points: The combination of stainless steel copper is the best as copper is the best conductor and stainless steel has no negative interaction with any food and is the most durable surface. Next is copper and tin. Next is aluminum. Non-stick pans can be very good, but be sure that the coating will tolerate high heat. Porcelain is good for slow cooking and is non-reactive but will not brown food well. Iron is good for slow cooking or where intense heat is required, but is highly reactive with many foods.

Tip 2
Plate warmers are a great way of ensuring the meals that you serve remain warm throughout the meal. Without having to use the oven, which would probably destroy your china, you can gently heat your plates and no longer have a fear of serving cold food. Food becomes cold probably due to the granite and the marble kitchen counters that draw the heat away from the food while it sits on the counter.