I don’t know what got in to me, but I have a confession to make. Are you sitting down? OK, here goes…
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Dry Spell
categories: In My Life, On Wine
Tag: wine
Rosé Fricassée
categories: Recipes
Boy, it sure is cold out there! The kind of chill that cuts right through even the thickest of coats and leaves you wishing you could hibernate until spring, in front of the fire and with endless mugs of hot chocolate.
I am always in awe of people who start diets during the month of January. How can you live on cold salads and grilled chicken when the only thing your body screams is “FEED ME COMFORT FOOD!!” Not for me. Well, I’ve never believed in making new year’s resolutions to begin with. I think it’s only setting yourself up for failure.
Much more sensible to eat according to the seasons, if you ask me — and the winter season demands hearty food! Those who want the best of both worlds can make the following recipe. My rosé fricassée is warming enough to satisfy any winter craving, yet light enough if served with mashed cauliflower instead of the recommended mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. I’d stick with the last two though, if I were you.
Enjoy!
Rosé Fricassée
Serves 4
- knob of butter
- 1 tbsp mild olive oil
- 4 chicken quarters
- fleur de sel
- freshly grated pepper
- 6 shallots, quartered
- 1 tbsp flour
- 300ml rosé wine
- 325ml strong chicken stock
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 bouquet garni
- 250g white mushrooms, quartered
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed casserole and brown the chicken on both sides, seasoning it well. This should take about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, place on a dish and cover with foil. Carefully drain most of the fat. Lower the heat, add the shallots and flour and stir while cooking for about 2 minutes. Turn up the heat and add the wine, leaving it to bubble for a few minutes. Now also add in the stock. Stir in the mustard and drop in the bouquet garni. Return the chicken to the pan, adding any juices left on the plate. Lower the heat, place the lid on the pan, and cook the chicken for 30-35 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and cook with the lid slightly ajar for an additional ten minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes, thick egg noodles or garlicky cauliflower purée.
Lunch Date Saturday: Fat Joe’s Pasta & Wine
categories: Eating Out
This past Saturday hubby and I headed to Hilversum for our weekly lunch date, a tradition we both love and very much look forward to. Well, actually, the whole Saturday is one big date for us because in the evening, we also enjoy a candlelit dinner for two! Couples, we both highly recommend this!
But about the place we visited for lunch…
It’s been quite a while since we went to Hilversum, and after this visit, we both decided we should go back a little more often. The market has a few nice stands (including a French food truck where we purchased incredibly delicious smoked garlic sausage) and there is a nice selection of shops and restaurants.
This time, we decided on a relatively new pasta and wine restaurant. Fat Joe’s opened last fall and is a hip and modern establishment with urban vibes and food and wine at great prices. Located on a lively corner, not far from the market, the restaurant has an inviting (heated) terrace. However, we chose to sit inside, which was a good thing because the decor is something to be enjoyed as well!
We took a seat not far from the attractive bar, and to my right, I could take a peek straight into the open kitchen.
The lunch menu has sandwiches, salads, a small selection of pastas, two specials and three desserts. Hubby opted for the pappardelle with sausage, and I had the pappardelle with porcini and truffle cream sauce — absolutely delightful and beautifully presented with a nice drizzle of olive oil.
The Puglian Tormaresca Negroamaro-Cabernet Sauvigon, chosen to wash down the meal, was full of red fruit and juicy plums with slightly spicy notes. Gorgeous with my dish. Kudos to the spot-on serving sizes (we left satisfied, not stuffed) and the friendly service.
To round off our lunch, we ordered two espressos which arrived perfectly made with a good, thick crema layer.
This is definitely a place we’ll return to in the near future. I spotted some very appetizing dishes passing by… like the charcuterie platter and the New York cheesecake! PS: And with a name like that, you’re likely to smile before you’ve even had a chance to stuff a forkful of twirled pasta into your mouth!
Fat Joe’s Pasta and Wine, Groest 42, Hilversum
Chicken & Chanterelles
categories: Recipes
As I write, I am sweltering away, trying to keep cool by drinking copious amounts of iced water and making sure little sun and heat gets into the house (proving to be a futile attempt). The first days of September have been everything but autumnal here in the Netherlands, though it’s not all that unusual. Summer always seems to arrive late here for some reason.
Despite the heat, I decided to make a chicken stew yesterday after being helplessly wooed by the most beautiful, fragrant chanterelles ever. For me, there’s no better pairing for chanterelles than chicken; eggs come in at a close second.
This recipe is reminiscent of a coq au vin, though less time consuming. The chicken is cooked in a rich wine sauce with shallots, aromatic herbs and a little stock. At the end you add in the chanterelles and some garlic, let the sauce thicken, and serve. It’s a match made in heaven with a celeriac and potato mash, but you can also serve it like they serve coq au vin at some restaurants in Bourgogne — with plenty of fresh baguette and a jar of Dijon mustard. It is hard to describe the joy of spreading some mustard on a piece of bread, dipping it into that thick gravy and popping it into your mouth. You’ll just have to try it yourself.
Here’s the recipe:
Chicken & Chanterelles
Serves 4
- knob of butter
- 1 tbsp mild olive oil
- 4 chicken quarters
- fleur de sel
- freshly grated pepper
- 8 small, round shallots, quartered
- 1 tbsp flour
- 120ml smooth, round red wine (I used a Merlot from the South West)
- 400ml strong chicken stock
- 1 bouquet garni
- 200g chanterelles (brushed clean & ends trimmed), roughly chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed casserole and brown the chicken on both sides, seasoning it well. This should take about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, place on a dish and cover with foil. Carefully drain most of the fat. Lower the heat, add the shallots and flour and stir while cooking for about 2 minutes. Turn up the heat and stir in the wine. Keep stirring until the wine is almost fully absorbed and coats the shallots. Now also stir in the stock. Return the chicken to the pan, adding any juices left on the plate. Drop in the bouquet garni. Lower the heat, place the lid on the pan, and cook the chicken for 25-30 minutes. Add the chanterelles and garlic, increase the heat and cook with the lid slightly ajar for an additional ten minutes. Serve with celeriac and potato mash or simply with bread and mustard.