Cajan and Vin, two of my favorite things

I got lazy this last week.

About posting that is.

We have been cooking, cleaning, and having fun with winter break from school.

Yesterday, seeing that it was National Margarita Day, we invited our friends over for a "Mexican celebration"

Nothing says "come on summer" like a Margarita in February.

That menu consisted of well, margaritas.

There was one mom who had to do a double take when

Monkey was upset because Monster drank or spilled hers.

Someone started her party before getting here ;)

The Day before, we made Corn Maque Choux.

Again a deviation on my French theme, in the traditional sense.

It does make for interesting dinner conversation.

We had FUN history lesson on the migration of the French Colony of Acadia.

Regardless, after the foot of snow we got, this was a warm comforting meal.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings (optional)
• 1 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels cut off the cob (about 3 ears fresh corn)
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Heat butter and bacon drippings in a large non-stick skillet; add onions and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add bell pepper and sauté an additional 3 minutes.
2. Add corn and sauté an additional for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth and simmer for 2 minutes or until liquid has started to evaporate.
3. Add cream, sugar and cayenne pepper sauce; simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring frequently.
4. Add thyme, green onions and parsley and stir to blend. Season to taste with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Keep warm.

we added Bass to it, Cut into 1 inch blocks, then after browning it a bit, in a non-stick skillet added it to the cooking Maque starters of onion and green pepper,

then continued with the recipe.

It cooked to perfection, and made this meal into a chowder like soup.

I see this visiting our table again.

I was also a bit sneaky.

When Monkey asked what was the meat in this

I just said Bass.

I didn't mention that it was a fish.

She ate about half before she said,

"ya know it taste kinda like fish, are you sure it isn't?"

hehehehehehehehehe

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over the weekend i made my absolute favorite chicken meal,

Coq au vin.

Like 2nd day Stew, I LOVE it the day after, but I equally love it the day I make it.

Either way I just can't get enough of this tender chicken dish, especially if mushrooms are the main veggie.

First you will need to cut up a 3-4 lb chicken.

If you don't know how to do this, I am at a loss of words for you.

My parents taught me when sometime around 9 years of age.

It was a basic cooking lesson that was as common in our house as tying our shoes.

This site shows how to do it, pretty well.

I like to snaps each joint and cut the pieces separately off the chicken.

I have known a few people to cut themselves up doing it my way,

but those same people also thought their fingers were part of a potato they were chopping.

you will also need to slice up mushrooms.

I love these so I cut up a whole small container.

If you don't like them as much, don't cut as much up.

I would say at least 6 nice size ones.

I have known some people to save time

and purchase the button mushrooms, just don't cut them up.

We will use the mushrooms after the chicken is done browning.

Heat a skillet, and have 2tbsp olive oil heating to a ripple,

then place your chicken pieces, skin side down in to brown.

We are sealing in the juices as these babies will cook in the wine.

After all that is what the recipe is called.

In a separate pan, this is usually the one I plan to put all the ingredients in,

melt 2 tbs of butter and throw in about 8 pearl onions or (1/2 lb if you want to be exact).

gently roll and toss the onions in the butter, until they begin to get soft, yellow, and brown.

Then add a couple of tbs spoons of flour, sprinkling it over the onions and stir.

We are making a roux.

At this point, I hope you have remembered that you were browning your chicken,

and now have it set aside on a plate.

All that wonderful goodness that the chicken leaves behind in the pan simply can not be wasted.

Add about a quarter cup of wine and reduce in the hot pan.

This will de-glaze all the wonderful flavors that are just stuck.

Once the wine does it job,drop in all those wonderful,

earthy mushrooms into the hot pan while the wine reduces

Let them soften, let them drink in the wine base.

This is part of the oh so good feeling that I love.

At this point, in your main pan, you should have a roux, golden to copper in tone.

Depending on if you use fat, or oil the color will vary,

BUT make sure you notice a color and not a paste.

you want to cook your flour.

Salt and pepper it, and slowly start stirring in the rest of the bottle of wine.

Ya know, the one you opened for the mushrooms.

It all goes in there.

The ENTIRE bottle.

No Sampling.

If you must drink, you will need to buy 2 bottles.

Use a wine that you would drink for best results.

If you don't drink, aim for a bottle that is regular priced somewhere between $11 and $15.

Good enough to drink, but not so cheap that you ruin a dish.

Forget about adding a $20 and up bottle. Wasteful even if it is good.

You can get the same results for less cash.

Did you notice I didn't say red or white?

Every region, and every family has a preference.

One family may like a nice Burgundy, another a crisp Riesling.

It doesn't really matter which one you use,

BUT if you don't like to eat purple meat, stick with a white.

You want to make sure that the roux and wine mix nicely, or you will end up with roux chunks, but once you have it looking smooth, you can start adding everything else.

chicken pieces, seared brown, and the juices that have drained on to the plate

1 c. Chicken Broth

a bouquet garni

mushrooms and all the goodness from the pan

Let it cook over low-med heat for an hour or until juices run clear when you prick your chicken.

Then I like to add a cup of couscous pearls and let those plump up just prior to serving.

Someone else might omit it, or make it separately as a side.

I like mine to drink up the sauce.

Because this meal cooks for a while, don't be concerned with the wine,

the alcohol will cook off.

Some of you may be concerned with this, and if it really bothers you,

I have made it with a grape juice before.

It isn't the same.

So just substitute it with 48 oz of chicken stock

if you need to feel that you are not participating in a forbidden behavior.

It is still good, just not

knee weakening good.