Fr. Z’s Kitchen: Pres. Obama Purple Chicken Edition

I was pretty irritated today by Pres. Obama’s cynical political statement, which undermines the bonds of society. Even though he stated – once upon a time – that in his presidency there wouldn’t be a “red” America or “blue” America, Pres. Obama fuels division upon division upon division.

Furthermore, since he stated that he wouldn’t “evolve” into an open promoter of unnatural unions as “marriage” before the Democratic Convention, Pres. Obama has shown himself to be a chicken in the face of pressure from advocates of homosexuality.

In honor of his craven political cynicism, I decided to make Coq au vin, which turns out rather purple when made with red wine.

I started my process at about 5 pm, by prepping some salt pork.  This, by the way, is a modification of Julia’s recipe.  Cut the pork into small pieces and simmer in water for a while.  Then brown them in butter with a bit of olive oil to create the fat mixture in which you brown the chicken.

Once they are browned, extract them with a slotted spoon and side them aside.  DRY off your pieces of chicken (they brown better when dry) and brown them in the fat.  I used drumsticks and thighs which I got on a super sale.

Once browned, season with salt and pepper, and gently cook, covered, for 10 minutes.  Turn the pieces, and cook for another 10.

Rejoin the pork with the chicken.

Add about a 1/4 cup of brandy or cognac, let it warm for a moment, and light it on fire!

I assure you, there are blue and yellow flames as the alcohol is consumed.  You can see a hint of them in the bottom left.

Consult the book briefly just to get the timing.

Okay… about 20 minutes to simmer.

In the meantime, I have been braising little bitty onions and mushrooms.  I made a bouquet garnis, and braised them in butter and chicken broth.

When the chicken is done, remove to a different container.

Do not overcook the chicken, which is easy to do.

Turn the heat up under the cooking liquid while skimming fat off the top.  Reduce for a while.

In the meantime, start making a roux, which will be a thickener  of the gravy.

When the liquid is reduced, blend together with your wire whisk some of the cooking liquid with the roux and then rejoin the thick mixture with the rest of the liquid.

Serve your non-partisan purple chicken with the braised onions and mushrooms, with some of the great sauce.

I started at 5 pm and, after eating, cleaning up, storing the left-overs, and posting this, it is 7:30.

Zing!