Chicken coq au vin

" This favorite, french classic, pronounced as 'chicken cok-a-vaen' , is often asked for, by my family and friends, over the last 20 years. My  spikier version, is an ideal party dish, as it's made 3-4 hours before and the flavours mature and mingle and form the most velvety , bacon-chicken-wine combination ever..."

Ingredients:

•  1 chicken cut into 16 pieces
• 100 grams bacon chunks
• 2 tbsp ( 30 grams) flour
• 2 1/2 tbsp butter
• 250 grams small onions
• 200 grams mushrooms
• 11/4 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup cognac (optional, else use wine only)
• 6 cloves garlic ( crushed)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 stick cardamom (2 inch)
• 6-8 peppercorns
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 tsp dried thyme ( or 1 tbsp fresh thyme)
• 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 tbsp oil ( olive or vegetable)
• 1 1/2 cup water
• salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Wash, dry and season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, keep on the side. 
2. In a thick wide bottomed pan or flat wok, stir fry the mushroom in 1/2 tbsp butter. Take out, when all liquid has evaporated,  in a big side dish
3. In the same pan, add 1/2 tbsp oil, add the onions and stir fry on high till lightly brown. Again take out in the side dish (same as the mushrooms)
4. In the same pan, add the bacon bits and cook till brown and crispy and has left all its fat.Again take out in the side dish( pile on top of the mushrooms & onions)
5. If the bacon fat is enough, brown the chicken pieces till golden on both sides, in a single layer, in the same fat (if not add 1 tbsp oil). 
6. Add the cognac, let it cook through. Then take out and pile the chicken in the side dish, on all the other ingredients ( scrape out as much from the pan as possible of the bottom bits and keep with the chicken) 
7. In the same pan, add 1 tbsp oil,  and the spices ( bay leaf, cardamom, cloves & peppercorns) and stir fry for 2-3 min, till brown and fragrant.
8. Add the garlic cloves and stir fry till transparent and the raw smell has disappeared.
9. Mix the 2 tbsp flour and 2 tbsp butter
10. Now add the flour and butter mixture to the hot pan and cook till brown, till raw smell has disappeared
11. Blend 1/2 cup of water (little at a time),mixing all the time, till a thick paste is formed ( the roux).
12. Add the wine, thyme and season to taste, bringing the mixture to a boil.
13. Add all the ingredients from the side dish ( mushroom, onion, chicken & bacon), making sure all the juices are added back.
14. Cook through either on stove top for 30 minutes or in a pre-heated oven (150 degrees C) for 30 minutes, till yummy and done.

Note:

• To get the perfect roux ( flour and butter and water paste), mix equal quantities of butter and four. Cook it, till raw smell is removed and mixture is lightly toasted. Add in cool water, little by little, mixing it in at each stage for the perfect paste. In case the roux, is lumpy, just beat with a whisk till smooth or strain it, if beating also does not work.
• The gravy should be smooth and thick enough to coat back of spoon, if not add some cornflour and water to thicken the dish.
• Do cook it 3-4 hrs before serving, to really get the best flavours.

Chicken cacciatore

"Chicken cacciatore, pronounced as 'kah-chuh-tawr-ee'  is an Italian hunter dish, with as many recipes as versions. Mine is a rustic version, cooked by two Italian ladies in the countryside, made on TV. Hit and trial, has led to my preferred quantities and resulted in the most flavourful chicken dish, I have ever made and eaten. Redolent with fresh rosemary, the trick is in the slow cooking. This results in light clean fresh flavours and I hope you enjoy this as much as I do ..."

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (skinned and cut into 8 or more pieces)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 2 onions
• 2 dried red chillies (Broken into half)
• 1 bunch of rosemary
• 3 bay-leaves
• 1/2 cup of white wine
• 3 tomatoes
• 8 olives
• 1/2 red pepper sliced
• 1/2 yellow pepper sliced

Method:

1. To peel tomatoes, use a knife for making a cross at one end.Drop the tomatoes in boiling water for a  minute, take out, cool, peel and chop the tomatoes.
2. Slice the onions in 1/2 rounds
3. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil,lower the flame, add the garlic, onions, red chilly, bay-leaves and stir them all for 2 minutes till the onions are translucent
4. Add the chicken pieces in one layer, and add the rosemary,salt, pepper to the mixture and brown till it is golden.(All on low flame)
5. Add the white wine, tomatoes, olives and cook them together till the chicken is done.If it is needed you can add a bit of water but the final dish should not be too watery
6. At the last minute add the red and yellow peppers and serve with crusty white bread

Notes:

• The entire cooking process should be done on low flame only
• Make sure the chicken is completely dry when you add it to cooking utensil
• Ideally, use a large base frying pan or a flat wok, such that the chicken can be browned in one layer
• If you like, you could mix the rosemary with sage, this dish works amazingly with fresh herbs. So make only when you have some in the house