The following Coq au Vin recipe is Julia Child’ original, that you’ll find included in several of her cookbooks. Julia Child was an American classic who learned the art of French cooking and French wine while living in Paris. Her Coq au Vin works well with many different types of red wine, but you should avoid those that are heavily oaked, like Cabernet Sauvignon.   

Julia Child’s Coq au Vin Recipe
Yields: 4 to 6 servings
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 pounds cut-up frying chicken, skin on and thoroughly dried (I used skinless boneless breasts and thighs instead)*
4 ounces lean thick-cut bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup cognac
2 cups red wine (Pinot Noir, Burgundy, Beaujolais or Chianti
2 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken stock or broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic mashed or minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme
Brown-Braised Onions (see directions below)
Mushrooms (see directions below)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Parsley sprigs

Preparation:

Dry chicken thoroughly in a towel. Season chicken with salt and pepper; set aside.

Remove any rind off the bacon and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4-inch across and 1-inch long). In a saucepan, simmer the bacon sticks in 2 quarts of water for 10 minutes; remove from heat, drain, rinse in cold water, and pat dry.

In a large heavy frying pan, casserole dish, or electric skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil until moderately hot. Add the bacon and saute slowly until they are lightly browned. Remove bacon to a side dish. Place chicken pieces into the hot oil (not crowding pan), and brown on all sides. Return bacon to the pan, cover pan, and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning chicken once.

After browning the chicken, uncover pan, pour in the cognac. Flambe by igniting with a lighted match. Let flame a minute, swirling pan by its handle to burn off alcohol; extinguish with pan cover.

Pour the red wine into the pan and add just enough chicken broth to completely cover the chicken pieces. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover pan, and simmer slowly for about 30 minutes or until the chicken meat is tender when pierced with a fork or a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

To prepare the onions, parboil them for one minute, and then remove from water. Then sauté them in butter until lightly browned. Then add enough water to the pan to fill it half way. Season with salt, cover, and allow onions to simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.

To prepare the mushrooms for the recipe, sauté sliced mushrooms in butter and olive oil for about five minutes.

Coq au Vin is traditionally served with egg noodles.

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Aida Mollenkamp, host of the popular Food Network show “Ask Aida” says, “The food you serve should be like your dress – reflect you and fit you like a glove – so, if you prefer a cupcake tower to a cake, go for it!”

Tips for a memorable wedding menu

* Find your inspiration. Couples should think back on their relationship, and choose a meaningful place or a time that will inspire their food and wine choices.

Food and wine: a perfect marriage

* Indulge. This is a celebration so forget about calories and choose the food and wine that truly reflects the couple.

* But don’t lose yourself. Remember, the wedding day is supposed to reflect who the bride and groom are. If they aren’t fans of foie gras and caviar, now is not the time to serve it.

* Personalize. Consider displaying menus at each place setting that describe the couple’s food and wine pairings – and include anecdotes for why they were chosen.

* Last all night. It’s a marathon to make it from the ceremony to the reception for the bride and groom and their guests. Make sure the food is substantial enough to keep everyone filled, yet light enough that they don’t slip into a groggy fog.

* Ah, dessert. It might be your guests’ favorite course, and for a wedding, it can truly be a showpiece. Let the dessert reflect the couple’s sweet tooth, and remember Riesling is a lovely accompaniment to most wedding desserts.

David Mirassou, sixth-generation of America’s oldest winemaking family agrees. “Riesling is a delicious wine pairing option for wedding desserts. It may also help a couple’s budget too, because it can be paired with both the first and main courses, as well as dessert.”

For more wedding inspiration, as well as video tips, Aida’s recipes and David’s food and wine pairings, visit Mirassou.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Fine dining is never complete without the accompaniment of fine wine.

But when you serve wrong food with the wine or the vise versa, the outcome can be unsavory.

Read this article to learn about the art of food and wine pairing and host the hottest and most happening wine party of the season.

Today it is the mixed and multi ethnic fares that rule the taste buds of the party hoppers and party throwers alike. The variety of wines across the world is also more readily available today than it used to be even a decade ago. As such the traditional notions about food and wine pairing are taking backseat, while the imagination and experimentation are becoming the guiding force in the art of food and wine pairing.

Before you proceed, here are some practical tips to help you pair the food and wine rightly and artistically:

Always remember: your objective should be to create a balance between the food and the drink. They should complement each other without trying to be more overpowering than the other.

Before serving the wine with just any food, keep this point in your mind that while you drink wine without food it tastes different and when it is accompanied by certain foods, it tastes different altogether. This is because, wine plays the same role vis a vis foods as the spices—wine contains such substances as acids, tannins and sugars that changes the taste of foods by interacting with them.

Try to discover the similarities and contrasts of flavor, and taste to create imaginative wine and food pairing.

The balance is best maintained when you serve light-bodied wines with lighter food and fuller-bodied wines with sinful calorie rich dishes.

Also try to create a sweetness balance between foods and wine. Don’t pair the wine with a food that is sweeter than wine. As for example, chocolate and Cabernet Sauvignon makes a good pair.

Complement the Hotter foods with sweet dessert wines—-Thai dishes and Sherry make very creative food-wine pairing.

Lastly follow the classic European style and reserve the cheese serving to be paired with the wine. Serve mild cheese with red wine, the cheese with sharper taste should be served with sweeter wines. Pair a glass of Cabernet, Zinfandel or Red Burgundy with soft cheese like Camembert and Brie.

Don’t get a bore by following too much grammar that demands serving of red wine along with red meat and white wine with fish and poultry. Break the rules and make room for creative experimentations; express your passion and announce your personality by introducing innovation in pairing food and wine.

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