Comments on: On Stewing Hens and Coq au Vin http://thepauperedchef.com/2008/04/on-stewing-hens.html Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:19:40 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Gertie http://thepauperedchef.com/2008/04/on-stewing-hens.html/comment-page-1#comment-15532 Gertie Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:13:19 +0000 http://blakeroyer.com/?p=203#comment-15532 That flaming thing is a parlor trick only, something fancy chefs do to make the crowd oooh and awww largely. Probably also intended as a way to get rid of some of the fat without draining as not to loose any of the precious browned bits of flavor. My friend's French grandmother used to cull her flock and make cock a vin. She had two versions, one for cool weather with red wine, one for summer with white wine and summer squash from her garden. Your recipe here looks pretty similar to her winter dish, but she never used olive oil, only lard and butter. Real lard is not what they generally sell in the grocery stores, which is partially hydrogenated to give it a uniform texture and has about as much flavor similarity to lard as do real milk and the whitewash they sell in groceries, but that is entirely another matter except to say you are probably doing the flavor of the dish more favor with the olive oil due to this. If you were to render your own lard or perhaps get some from the Amish, then you'd have something. Over all, you are quite right your cooking time was largely to blame, I always simmer mine 4-5 hours in the slow cooker. I brown the bird, get it simmering in the wine with the veggies, then add it to the crock pot turned to high. I reserve half the bacon aside. I like to roast a golden potato for each serving in the oven, and about ten minutes before serving, I fry the reserved bacon crispy and brown, set aside. Pearl onions follow in a hot hot skillet so they will be translucent and succulent with browned, caramelized areas, but the onions will remain whole. The mushrooms are then quickly browned in the flavorful grease. I like them to be browned but not allowed to coddle in their own juices so the skillet must be hot and they must not be overcooked. Just as Grand-mère taught, I serve in crock bowls over the flesh of the potato mashed and topped by the crisp bacon, succulent onions, and tender mushrooms. You can make the dish with your average grocery chicken, I have from time to time done so and found with a little extra dark meat it is quite acceptable, but it will never have quite the richness of flavor as the stewing hen. Grand-mère would say it hadn't aged properly. That flaming thing is a parlor trick only, something fancy chefs do to make the crowd oooh and awww largely. Probably also intended as a way to get rid of some of the fat without draining as not to loose any of the precious browned bits of flavor.
My friend’s French grandmother used to cull her flock and make cock a vin. She had two versions, one for cool weather with red wine, one for summer with white wine and summer squash from her garden. Your recipe here looks pretty similar to her winter dish, but she never used olive oil, only lard and butter. Real lard is not what they generally sell in the grocery stores, which is partially hydrogenated to give it a uniform texture and has about as much flavor similarity to lard as do real milk and the whitewash they sell in groceries, but that is entirely another matter except to say you are probably doing the flavor of the dish more favor with the olive oil due to this. If you were to render your own lard or perhaps get some from the Amish, then you’d have something.
Over all, you are quite right your cooking time was largely to blame, I always simmer mine 4-5 hours in the slow cooker. I brown the bird, get it simmering in the wine with the veggies, then add it to the crock pot turned to high. I reserve half the bacon aside. I like to roast a golden potato for each serving in the oven, and about ten minutes before serving, I fry the reserved bacon crispy and brown, set aside. Pearl onions follow in a hot hot skillet so they will be translucent and succulent with browned, caramelized areas, but the onions will remain whole. The mushrooms are then quickly browned in the flavorful grease. I like them to be browned but not allowed to coddle in their own juices so the skillet must be hot and they must not be overcooked. Just as Grand-mère taught, I serve in crock bowls over the flesh of the potato mashed and topped by the crisp bacon, succulent onions, and tender mushrooms.
You can make the dish with your average grocery chicken, I have from time to time done so and found with a little extra dark meat it is quite acceptable, but it will never have quite the richness of flavor as the stewing hen. Grand-mère would say it hadn’t aged properly.

]]> By: elgin http://thepauperedchef.com/2008/04/on-stewing-hens.html/comment-page-1#comment-725 elgin Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:03:22 +0000 http://blakeroyer.com/?p=203#comment-725 <p>Yeah this is one of those things you want to do a day or two in advance. Not only is it more convenient, it tastes better!</p> Yeah this is one of those things you want to do a day or two in advance. Not only is it more convenient, it tastes better!

]]> By: Bryce Alderton http://thepauperedchef.com/2008/04/on-stewing-hens.html/comment-page-1#comment-724 Bryce Alderton Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:54:42 +0000 http://blakeroyer.com/?p=203#comment-724 <p>Mr. Royer,<br /> Thank you for including the part about the fire and fat. It's important to include these things because it educates readers. Admitting and including mistakes is admirable and I applaud your humility for including this. As for coq au vin, I had a wonderful version of it at Tracht's restaurant in Long Beach, Calif. I asked an LA Times writer to track down the recipe, so if I see it, I'll send it along. The dish was outstanding! </p> Mr. Royer,
Thank you for including the part about the fire and fat. It's important to include these things because it educates readers. Admitting and including mistakes is admirable and I applaud your humility for including this. As for coq au vin, I had a wonderful version of it at Tracht's restaurant in Long Beach, Calif. I asked an LA Times writer to track down the recipe, so if I see it, I'll send it along. The dish was outstanding!

]]> By: Toni http://thepauperedchef.com/2008/04/on-stewing-hens.html/comment-page-1#comment-723 Toni Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:49:46 +0000 http://blakeroyer.com/?p=203#comment-723 <p>The pic of the stew is beautiful. <br /> Im not a fan of chicken (not for any ethical reason.. more of a traumatic experience from growing up on a farm in Jamaica)but I appreciate the images of the process.<br /> Are you still working that early morning Friday shift @ the Coop? Its always exciting making small connections w/random strangers.<br /> </p> The pic of the stew is beautiful.
Im not a fan of chicken (not for any ethical reason.. more of a traumatic experience from growing up on a farm in Jamaica)but I appreciate the images of the process.
Are you still working that early morning Friday shift @ the Coop? Its always exciting making small connections w/random strangers.

]]> By: Blake Royer http://thepauperedchef.com/2008/04/on-stewing-hens.html/comment-page-1#comment-722 Blake Royer Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:14:22 +0000 http://blakeroyer.com/?p=203#comment-722 <p><strong>Adrienne</strong>: Thanks for writing, and for making me laugh out loud! I can picture that scene perfectly, you hanging on every word as this old timer is about to reveal the secret to grilling a stewing hen. That sounds like a mighty tasty stick; what wouldn't be after basting in butter and chicken fat for hours?</p> <p><strong>Earle</strong>: I'm happy to hear that the piece brought back memories, and what wonderful memories. The hen I bought this time had no eggs, but someday I'd like to try to find some. Maybe through a local farmer.</p> Adrienne: Thanks for writing, and for making me laugh out loud! I can picture that scene perfectly, you hanging on every word as this old timer is about to reveal the secret to grilling a stewing hen. That sounds like a mighty tasty stick; what wouldn't be after basting in butter and chicken fat for hours?

Earle: I'm happy to hear that the piece brought back memories, and what wonderful memories. The hen I bought this time had no eggs, but someday I'd like to try to find some. Maybe through a local farmer.

]]> By: Earle http://thepauperedchef.com/2008/04/on-stewing-hens.html/comment-page-1#comment-721 Earle Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:14:25 +0000 http://blakeroyer.com/?p=203#comment-721 <p>It was wonderful to read your account of the coq au vin experiment, but what caught my eye was your mention of the unborn chicken eggs at the restaurant/farm. It brought back memories of something I haven't had since I was a kid. When we bought a checken back then from the butcher, it contained any unborn eggs found within it. These were added to the chicken soup that was made from the chicken and everyone in the family quite literally fought to see who would get to eat them. My grandmother asked the butcher for as many of these as he might have, but there were never enough. If you have a source, you might want to try them fresh from a checken soup.</p> It was wonderful to read your account of the coq au vin experiment, but what caught my eye was your mention of the unborn chicken eggs at the restaurant/farm. It brought back memories of something I haven't had since I was a kid. When we bought a checken back then from the butcher, it contained any unborn eggs found within it. These were added to the chicken soup that was made from the chicken and everyone in the family quite literally fought to see who would get to eat them. My grandmother asked the butcher for as many of these as he might have, but there were never enough. If you have a source, you might want to try them fresh from a checken soup.

]]> By: Adrienne http://thepauperedchef.com/2008/04/on-stewing-hens.html/comment-page-1#comment-720 Adrienne Wed, 16 Apr 2008 17:42:33 +0000 http://blakeroyer.com/?p=203#comment-720 <p>I'm writing from Montana. I live in a small town and get very excited to see the Hutterite trucks or Amish wagons when they come into town. I've always gotten really good pork from the Hutterites--really, really good. Last summer I bought myself a stewing hen (in addition to numerous other fresh veggies and jellies and jams and pickles and...) before stopping off at the local tavern to brag about my wares. An old timer started laughing and said, "Adrienne, come here, and I will tell you how to cook that chicken. Set your barbecue on low, really low. Then take a stick, any old stick laying around, and skewer your hen. Then put it on your grill and roast it all day long, being sure to turn it every twenty minutes. When you turn it brush butter on the chicken. Just keep turning and turning and turning. After about 8 hours, you take the chicken off the grill, season it one more time. Then you take the chicken, pull it off the stick and throw the entire chicken away, because that stick is going to be more tender than the chicken will ever be." </p> I'm writing from Montana. I live in a small town and get very excited to see the Hutterite trucks or Amish wagons when they come into town. I've always gotten really good pork from the Hutterites–really, really good. Last summer I bought myself a stewing hen (in addition to numerous other fresh veggies and jellies and jams and pickles and…) before stopping off at the local tavern to brag about my wares. An old timer started laughing and said, "Adrienne, come here, and I will tell you how to cook that chicken. Set your barbecue on low, really low. Then take a stick, any old stick laying around, and skewer your hen. Then put it on your grill and roast it all day long, being sure to turn it every twenty minutes. When you turn it brush butter on the chicken. Just keep turning and turning and turning. After about 8 hours, you take the chicken off the grill, season it one more time. Then you take the chicken, pull it off the stick and throw the entire chicken away, because that stick is going to be more tender than the chicken will ever be."

]]> By: Chocolatesa http://thepauperedchef.com/2008/04/on-stewing-hens.html/comment-page-1#comment-2088 Chocolatesa Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://blakeroyer.com/?p=203#comment-2088 <p>Yet another recipe to add to my long list of your recipes I want to try!</p> Yet another recipe to add to my long list of your recipes I want to try!

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