Recipes
Coq au vin
Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
(12 hrs inactive)
Serves
2
Ingredients
4 chicken thighs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
3 cups red wine
1 bay leaf
4 springs fresh thyme
3 oz bacon lardon, diced ¼ -inch
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, medium diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
8 oz button mushrooms
2 rib celery, sliced
2 garlic clove, sliced
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 oz brandy
12 peeled cippolini onions
12 baby new potatoes
3 cups chicken stock
¼ cup parsley, chopped
Directions
1. Season chicken thighs with 2 ¼ teaspoons of kosher salt and black pepper, in a medium bowl combine chicken, wine, bay leaf and thyme. Make sure chicken is fully submerged in wine, cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 3 hours.
2. Heat pan over medium low heat; add lardons and render the fat and allow to golden and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Scoop out lardons with slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and leave fat in cast iron.
3. Remove chicken from wine, keeping the marinate. Pat thighs dry, with paper towel until super dry. Heat bacon fat in cast iron over medium high heat, working in batches, sear all sides of chicken, once browned remove chicken and rest with lardons on plate.
4. Now with the cast iron over medium heat, stir in cippolini, carrots, mushrooms, new potatoes, garlic into left over fat, add tomato pasta and cook out for 5 minutes, remove from heat, deglaze with brandy, allow alcohol to light on fire. Once flame dies down, add reserved marinate and chicken stock, bring to a boil on high heat, and reduce to a simmer and reduce liquid by half, 10 to 12 minutes. Skimming any scum that comes to the top.
5. Add chicken, lardons and any juice on the plate. Cover with the cast iron lid and simmer lightly for 35 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through, uncover the cast iron the last 15 minutes of cooking to allow the sauce to thicken. Season with chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Steak au poivre
Prep Time
45 mins
Serves
2
Ingredients
10-12 oz Skirt steak
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper
¼ cup unsalted butter
6 springs thyme
2 cloves peeled garlic
Au poivre sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup finely minced shallots
½ cup green peppercorns
2 oz cognac
1 cup beef stock
½ cup 35% cream
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
1. Season skirt steak on all sides with salt and pepper. Temper for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the pan over high heat with 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Once the pan is hot and the oil is starting to smoke, place the skirt steak down in the pan away from you, as to prevent any splatter on yourself.
3. Sear steak for 3 minutes on the first side. Once you have a golden crust on the first side, flip the steak and repeat process on the opposite side another 3 minutes.
4. Drain out 70% of the fat and discard. Turn heat down to medium. Add cubed butter, thyme, and garlic. Allow butter to froth, and flip the steak again. Using a large spoon, start basting the steak with butter, allow the thyme and garlic to rest on top of the steak. Best for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip steak and repeat process on the opposite side. Test steak for doneness using a thermometer. Allow the steak to rest on a cool rack for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. As the steak is resting, drain out all fat and burnt aromatics. Wipe the pan and then place over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, melt and then add shallots and green peppercorns. Sweat 5 minutes no colour, then deglaze pan with brandy. Allow to catch fire and burn off the alcohol. Once flames dissipate, add beef stock, turn heat up to high and simmer beef stock. Reduce by half, 10 minutes, add cream and bring to a boil, reduce until desired consistency. Season with kosher salt to taste, sauce is ready.
6. Carve rested steak against the grain into 2 cm-thick slices, fan steak out on server plate, season exposed meat with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Now pool au poivre sauce around steak and serve.
Cornbread with fried egg and n'duja
Prep Time
50 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
1 cup instant cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
4 whole eggs
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon) butter
3 tablespoons sour cream
3 teaspoons kosher salt
½ cup smoked gouda (grated)
½ cup Monterey jack cheddar (grated)
¼ cup raw jalapeno (diced)
¼ cup pickled jalapeno (diced)
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup ‘nduja – storebought spreadable fermented sausage
4 eggs
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
Directions
1. Preheat your oven 190ºC (375ºF); Grease cast iron with room temperature butter. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, and sugar until combined. Add buttermilk, sour cream, baking powder, baking soda, whisk to combine. Add flour, cornmeal, jalapenos, both cheeses, salt, and frozen grated butter. Do not over mix your cornbread.
2. Pour batter into prepared cast iron, bake for 40 mins until golden brown on top, use a cake tester to test the center of the corn bread. A toothpick should come out clean. Let the cornbread cool for 5 minutes. Cut cornbread into ¼ wedges, cut 4 slice wedges out ¼. Reserve the rest of the cornbread for other meal occasions.
3. Wipe cast iron clean, heat cast iron over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of
butter, melt and then toast cornbread wedges on both side 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove and place on serving plates.
4. Add all the ‘nduja to cast iron, turn up to medium high heat, using a wooden spoon stir the 'nduja allowing into render and warm through. Once warm and spreadable, remove and spread evenly onto corn bread wedges.
5. Add 1 tablespoon butter to warm cast iron, allowing butter to melt and bubble with rendered ‘nduja fat. Once butter is bubbly, crack all 4 eggs into different areas of the pan, on medium heat, cook eggs sunny side up until egg whites are firm and cooked. Using a spatula, cut eggs into 4 even slices. Place a sunny side up egg on top of ‘nduja, season eggs with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.