After all your hoping and praying, the zombie apocalypse finally comes to fruition. It’s everything you had hoped for and more. During those times of relative peace (before the outbreak), in-between combat deployments and cage fights I recognized in my life that certain skills can be very perishable. For instance, if you do not get behind a long gun, look at the blades of grass blowing in the wind and squeeze off a few rounds your ability to shoot will diminish. Likewise if you have been too busy shooting the re-animated flesh of the dead in the head for too long you might forget how to cook something worth eating. Life just isn’t worth living if you can’t eat well.
Let me let the stage. The virus spread rapidly. Most people that weren’t prepared were “infected” rapidly. The ones that survived the initial outbreak have been fighting for their lives for the past few months. You and your chosen few are patrolling the woods when you come across an old farm. All the good animals are dead or taken…all that is left is an old mean rooster. With this recipe you can take that old crotchety grump of a bird and turn it into one of the finest of French Cuisine.
Let me introduce you to Coq au Vin (Translates as Cock of the Wine)
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb bacon slices or more
- 20 pearl onions, peeled, (cut an x on the bottom of the little pearl onions and boil for 1
- 3 lbs chicken thighs and legs, excess fat trimmed, skin ON
- 1 cup flour
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups chicken stock use low sodium
- 2 cups or more of red wine (pinot noir, burgundy, or zinfandel – don’t use cooking wine!)
- 2 bay leaves
- Several fresh thyme sprigs
- Several fresh parsley sprigs
- 1/2 lb button mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp butter
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
minute…they will slide right out of their skin) or 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- Method-Brown bacon in dutch over for about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon to a small plate, but keep the bacon fat. Dredge the chicken in flour and salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the bacon fat and let it brown (all sides – do it in batches – keep the browned chicken in a separate dish) Once all chicken is browned, put in onions and garlic. Brown onions for about 5 minutes. (You can add mushrooms in now or wait until you add the wine)
- Once onions are browned put in the chicken stock, red wine and herbs into the dutchoven (don’t be stingy on the wine). Add back all the chicken and bacon. Bring to a simmer and lower heat. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Cook until chicken is tender (not dry) and cooked through. Once chicken is cooked remove to a separate (clean) dish again. Remove bay leaves, thyme sprigs and garlic and discard.
- Turn heat up to high on remaining liquid. Boil and reduce liquid until thick. (you can add your blood, roux, butter, thickener here) Once liquid is to your desired constancy return the chicken to reheat and coat with sauce. Test seasoning being careful to notover salt. Garnish with parsley and serve over mashed potatoes or noodles!
Bon Appetit! Se prépare a tuer tout le monde! (Enjoy your meal, and prepare to kill everyone!)
