Chicken Fricasee

I made this and it was fairly close to the chicken fricassee I had at a Parisian Bistro.

Cut 1 whole chicken breast (preferably kosher) into 8 pieces, salt and pepper.

Hydrate ½ cup dried porcini mushrooms in ½ cup hot water. Let rest 30 minutes.

Cut ½ lb thick sliced bacon into ¼ inch strips

Sautee bacon in 2 tbsp olive oil (in enameled cast iron pot) until fat renders – the bacon should NOT be crisp, remove bacon.

Brown 3 garlic cloves in oil, tipping dish to coat cloves. Remove garlic, smash and mince.

Sautee 8 shitake mushrooms, cut in ¼ (stems removed) in hot oil. Porcinis or chanterelles are better if you can get them.

Sautee 2/3 sliced sweet onion (1 inch strips) in oil, remove.

Sautee 3 medium carrots cut in ½ inch cubes until brown, remove.

Sautee 2 celery strips cut into ½ inch dice, remove.

Deglaze with mushroom juice, ½ bottle red wine and 3 tbsp veal demiglace, Add salt and pepper.

Add chicken, cook 1 minute, turn cook 1 minute.

Add bacon and vegetables and 8 sprigs thyme, tied together.

Cook 45 minutes in 400 degree oven, covered,

Remove chicken, place sauce on stovetop.

Add ¼ cup butter in slices. Correct sauce.

Re-warm chicken.

Serve

If you want to make a classic coq au vin, you can refrigerate the chicken before the 45 minute oven cooking and cook the next day. This is superior to browning after marination because the chicken will brown better.

I served this with haricot verts and pureed potatoes with extra virgin olive oil.

Tuna Crostini

I made this with Ariella with leftover fibrous tuna. She scarfed it - absolutely delicious and our little secret (well no more). Uses leftover firous parts of tuna if you want, avoiding waste.

1/8 lb sashimi quality tuna
1/2 sweet onion roasted with chicken, crushed and minced
French olive oil (buttery)
3 sprigs thyme, minced
fleur de sel - crushed with flat of knife.
pepper
8 slices fresh bread - I used Puglian bread

1. slice tuna, crush with flat of knife and remove any fibrous parts.
2. Add onion, olive oil, thyme, fleur de sel and pepper
3. spread n bread

Sausage Soup

I did this to get rid of some sausage (which was not really that great) and it was very good. The fennel seeed makes this dish. I ate 4 bowls - couldn't stop.

1. Brown on all 4 sides 6 sweet sausages in olive oil. quarter lengthwise and then cut into 1/8 inch slices, reserve
2) sautee diced 2 onions, 2 celery sticks and 6 carrots until soft
3) add sausage, 1/2 bottle red wine, 1 can crushed tomatoes, 2 tbsp fennel seeds, 6 minced roasted garlic cloves, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup chopped parsley
4) cook 45 minutes uncovered
5) correct sesonings and serve