COQ AU RIESLING
Alsace’s answer to coq au vin. In fact, I’ve never been entirely happy with coq au vin because the red wine sauce is never quite as deep and red as I think it should be. Coq au Riesling, on the other hand, works much better because white wine with some cream and lots of parsley looks much more appetising.
SERVES 4-6
2 tbsp vegetable oil
70g unsalted butter
12 shallots, peeled but left whole 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 160g smoked bacon lardons 250g chestnut mushrooms, wiped and halved if large
1 free-range chicken (about 1.7kg), jointed into 8 pieces
1 tbsp plain flour
500ml medium-dry Riesling 350ml chicken stock (see the book for homemade)
1 bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs salt and black pepper
100ml single cream
1 egg yolk handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
★ Heat half the oil and half the butter in a shallow flameproof casserole dish and fry the shallots, garlic and lardons until the shallots have started to colour. Add the mushrooms and fry for a couple more minutes. Transfer everything to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
★ Add the remaining oil and butter to the casserole dish. Dust the chicken joints with flour and brown them in a couple of batches.
★ Put all the chicken back in the pan and add the wine, stock, herbs and the cooked shallots, lardons and mushrooms. Season with a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, uncovered. Pass everything through a colander set over a bowl and keep the chicken, lardons and vegetables warm.
★ Return the strained liquid and juices to the pan and reduce a little. Take the pan off the heat. Whisk the cream with the egg yolk and a ladleful of the reduced cooking liquid, then pour this into the pan with the stock. Place over a medium heat until the sauce has thickened, but don’t let it boil.
★ Put everything back into the pan and let it warm through. Check the seasoning and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pommes purée or buttered spätzle (recipes for both in the book).
4 confit duck legs (bought or see the book for homemade)
4 shallots, chopped a few fresh thyme sprigs, leaves stripped and chopped
175ml red wine
200ml chicken stock (see the book for homemade) handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped 800g potatoes, cut into 5cm chunks 100ml-125ml warm milk 150g-200g Comté cheese, grated salt and Rick’s peppermix (see note) or black pepper
★ Warm the confit duck legs over a gentle heat to release the fat, then pour the fat into clean jars. You need some for this dish but save the rest for another day.
★ Remove the skin from the duck legs and discard it or slice and roast as a nibble. Pull away and shred the duck meat with a couple of forks, discarding any bones and gristle.
★ Heat 2 tablespoons of the duck fat in a pan, add the shallots, thyme and half a teaspoon of peppermix (or plenty of black pepper). Allow the shallots to brown gently and once they are golden, add the wine and stock, then bring to the boil.
★ Cook for a few minutes, then add the duck meat and the chopped parsley. Stir and set aside.
★ Preheat the oven to 210C/190C fan. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20-25 minutes until tender. Drain them well then add the warm milk and mash until smooth. Season with salt and a big pinch of peppermix or some black pepper.
★ Grease a baking dish measuring about 18cm x 28cm with duck fat. Pile in the meat mixture, then cover with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top and bake for about 25 minutes until heated through and browned on top.
★ Serve with a green salad, green beans with garlic and fried breadcrumbs or carrots à la fermière (recipes for both in the book).
In a spice grinder place 1 chipotle chilli (seeds removed), 1 pasilla chilli (seeds removed), 2 tbsp white peppercorns, 2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns and 1 tbsp salt. Blitz everything together until combined.