Kristen's Recipes

Lemongrass Coq Au Vin

 

4- to 5-pound chicken, skinned and cut into 8 pieces (4 breast pieces, 2 legs, and 2 thighs)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 1/2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter, if thickening the sauce

1 1/2 cups chopped shallots (1/4 pound)

5 cups quartered shiitake mushrooms (1/2 pound)

4 stalks fresh lemongrass

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 cups dry vermouth

2 cups low-sodium stock

About 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, if thickening the sauce

 

Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry, then season each piece with salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large skillet with a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and the 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer the shallots to a plate and set aside. Add the mushrooms to the hot pan and another 1/2 tablespoon oil if necessary and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and add to the plate with the shallots. Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and brown the chicken in batches, taking care not to crowd them in the pan. Transfer the pieces to a separate plate when they are fully browned.

 

Meanwhile, cut the bottom third from each stalk of lemongrass, peel off any outer fibrous skin, and finely mince the tender portion inside; you should have about 1/4 cup minced lemongrass (don’t worry if it’s a little more or a little less). Cut the remaining upper two thirds of the stalks into 2-inch lengths and set aside. Turn the heat to low, add the minced lemongrass and the garlic to the pan, and cook for 10 to 25 seconds, until they release an aroma but are not browned. Turn the heat to high, add the vermouth, and deglaze the pan by scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom and sides of the pan with a wooden spoon. Boil until reduced by about a quarter, 8 to 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and add the stock. Scatter the 2-inch pieces of lemongrass around the chicken, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and discard the pieces of lemongrass. If you want to thicken the sauce (I often don’t), knead the remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons butter with the flour until thoroughly mixed and whisk into the pan juices. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the floury taste is gone and the liquid is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. If it’s not thick enough, knead together an additional 2 teaspoons flour and 1/2 tablespoon butter and whisk it in, simmering until the liquid has thickened. Add the chicken, mushrooms, and shallots to the pan, lower the heat, and baste with the sauce. Cook until the chicken pieces are heated through, about 10 minutes, and serve.

1 T. unsalted butter

1/2 C. finely chopped yellow onions

1/4 C. finely chopped celery

3 T. seeded and finely chopped red bell pepper

3 T. seeded and finely chopped yellow bell pepper

2 tsp. minced garlic

3/4 tsp. salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

3 C. cooked chicken, finely shredded while warm

3 T. finely chopped green onion tops, green part only

3/4 C. dried fine bread crumbs

1/3 C. mayonnaise

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 T. Creole mustard

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3/4 C. vegetable oil

1 recipe Tangy Remoulade Sauce, recipe follows

 

Melt the butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and slightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic, 1/4 tsp. of the salt, and the cayenne. Cook for 1 minute longer. Remove the pan from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, cooled vegetables, green onions, 1/2 C. of the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, eggs, and Creole mustard. Season mixture with the remaining 1/2 tsp. of the salt and the pepper and mix well. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions, about 1/4 C. each, and form them into round 1/2-inch thick cakes or patties. Place the remaining 1/4 C. of bread crumbs in a shallow dish and dredge each cake in the bread crumbs, pressing gently to coat. Place cakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a large saute pan with high sides heat the vegetable oil to 360 degrees F. Gently lay the chilled cakes in the oil, 3 to 4 at a time, and fry until lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove cakes with a slotted spatula and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with the Tangy Remoulade Sauce.

 

Tangy Remoulade Sauce

 

2 T. Creole or whole-grain mustard

2 T. chopped green onion tops, green part only

1 1/2 tsp. prepared horseradish

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1 tsp. yellow mustard

1 tsp. hot sauce

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 C. plus 2 T. vegetable oil

2 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves

1 to 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 1/2 T. drained and coarsely chopped capers

 

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add the Creole mustard, green onions, horseradish, garlic, mustard, hot sauce, Worcestershire, lemon juice, egg, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the motor running, slowly pour the vegetable oil into the blender or food processor in a slow, steady stream. Add the parsley and pulse to combine. Transfer to a container, fold in the chopped eggs and capers, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour before using. This sauce will keep, refrigerated, for up to 24 hours.

1 small red bell pepper

1 small yellow bell pepper

1/4 C. olive oil

1 (4 pound chicken) cut into 12 pieces

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6 ounces fresh sweet fennel sausage, cut on the diagonal into 16 thin slices

2 C. thinly sliced white or cremini mushrooms

1 T. plus 1 tsp. all-purpose flour

1 T. plus 1 tsp. red wine vinegar (preferably Italian)

1 1/2 C. chicken broth

1/2 C. homemade tomato sauce or good quality store bought sauce

1 heaping T. chopped parsley leaves

 

Spear the peppers with a kitchen fork or skewer and hold them over an open flame until charred all over. Place the charred peppers in a paper bag or in a covered container until they are cool enough to handle. (This step completes the cooking of the peppers and facilitates removing the skin.) Rub off the skins (never run them under water, which washes away the flavorful oils), cut the peppers in half lengthwise, and discard the stems and seeds. Cut the pepper halves into 1/4-inch wide strips and set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and reserve. Add the sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. (Reduce the heat as needed to keep the skillet from burning.) Toss in the mushrooms and cook along with the sausage, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the peppers and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute, stir in the vinegar, broth and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Season with 1/2 tsp. salt and a pinch of pepper. Return the sauteed chicken pieces to the skillet along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Cover the skillet and simmer gently, until the chicken is just cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a warm serving platter. Return the skillet to the heat and reduce the liquid until it thickens to a sauce consistency, about 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the sauce, mushrooms, peppers and sausage over the chicken. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve immediately.