This resonates with me! I decided to cook a Boeuf Bourguignon for a small NYE gathering (4 friends), and went through quite a bit of dithering about the right wine.
I would have settled for a cheapish Gamay, but my trusted local wine shop owner convinced me on a light IGP Pays d'Herault red (Grenache/Syrah blend).
After 3.5 hours of cooking, I'm totally with you. I don't think anyone would ever know what the wine was.
Russell lives on through those of us lucky enough to have known him, he is missed terribly, but what good fortune that he left us these wonderful books so that we may stay in touch with him, his passion, his spirit and humour, a heart warming tale, cheers
The conversations as I queued on the 23rd were almost more interesting than the bird!
As veganism becomes more popular I feel meat eaters becoming more passionate and vocal about their practice. Butchers meanwhile more adept and creative with their displays.
Who'd have thought a raw meat display would draw such a crowd? oohing and ahhing and pointing over a piece of topside, an oxtail or a filet mignon - let alone the pyramid of sausage rolls.
On to Bond street later. Tiffany's window didn't draw me in.....
Sounds delicious. Love the idea of this tradition. We ate cockerel on Christmas Day from the Ginger Pig, along with our annual smoked ham from Doddington.
Just roasted with herbs and lemon, it was ok. Nothing to write home about, but the meat very tender and plentiful. Your casserole sounds like a much better idea.
I really appreciate your take on the relevance of the wine in this dish as I was wondering myself; for the second time making it we were debating if we could use a wine we’d just opened that was slightly corked? This second time it was really not as good, more acidic. I wasn’t sure if it was down to the wine or the lower quality tinned tomatoes I’d had to use. Based on your take I’ll blame the tomatoes!
I'm not sure about corked - I think lightly would be ok but I'd be wary of cooking with something really stinky as the flavours might linger even with cooking.
There is a Raymond Blanc recipe for Coq au Vin where you start with two bottles of red and boil down them down to the volume of one. Result is a very intense sauce (obviously). Worth trying. Incidentally, he suggests something cheap and Rhône-y. Even if you don't go to that length, giving the stuff a quick boil is usually a good shout. Must get a proper French poulet again and have another go.
That's interesting. Elizabeth David's daube de bouef recipe includes burning the alcohol off the wine by heating and the setting it on fire - huge fun.
This article made me nostalgic my Maman made Coq au vin and Boeuf Bourguignon regularly. I completely agree with your assessment of cooking wines. I have fussed in the past about which wine to use... Makes no difference. I mostly use my fridge forgotten "bottle bottoms" that I eventually commingle into 1 bottle... I suppose my house red or white blends! 😊
I LOVE that you called it a solera - it is much more technically precise than blend! Will you give me permission to use it! :) or is it considered fair use! :D
I've often thought it would be fun, though perhaps not a lot of fun, to make two side by side with smart wine and ordinary, and then do a blind tasting. Maybe one for when I retire.
It is superb though not a good one if you're in a hurry. I'd even suggest making it two days in advance as it just gets richer the longer you leave it.
Since I discovered it a few years ago, I often cook Coq au Riesling and did so this New Year's Eve. It's tangy creaminess is very different from rich, dark coq au vin and to my taste rather more sophisticated. The recipe from Felicity Cloake's Guardian How To Make The Perfect series is excellent and discusses other chefs' variations. I use an 'ordinary' Alsace Riesling.
This resonates with me! I decided to cook a Boeuf Bourguignon for a small NYE gathering (4 friends), and went through quite a bit of dithering about the right wine.
I would have settled for a cheapish Gamay, but my trusted local wine shop owner convinced me on a light IGP Pays d'Herault red (Grenache/Syrah blend).
After 3.5 hours of cooking, I'm totally with you. I don't think anyone would ever know what the wine was.
Something Rhoney is definitely the right answer.
Russell lives on through those of us lucky enough to have known him, he is missed terribly, but what good fortune that he left us these wonderful books so that we may stay in touch with him, his passion, his spirit and humour, a heart warming tale, cheers
Thanks Paul. I kept on thinking, I'll let Russell know how much I'm enjoying his book, and then remembering. Unbelievably sad.
The conversations as I queued on the 23rd were almost more interesting than the bird!
As veganism becomes more popular I feel meat eaters becoming more passionate and vocal about their practice. Butchers meanwhile more adept and creative with their displays.
Who'd have thought a raw meat display would draw such a crowd? oohing and ahhing and pointing over a piece of topside, an oxtail or a filet mignon - let alone the pyramid of sausage rolls.
On to Bond street later. Tiffany's window didn't draw me in.....
Have noted your recipe for next year....
Sounds delicious. Love the idea of this tradition. We ate cockerel on Christmas Day from the Ginger Pig, along with our annual smoked ham from Doddington.
Just roasted with herbs and lemon, it was ok. Nothing to write home about, but the meat very tender and plentiful. Your casserole sounds like a much better idea.
Cockerel from the Ginger Pig sounds very fancy!
I really appreciate your take on the relevance of the wine in this dish as I was wondering myself; for the second time making it we were debating if we could use a wine we’d just opened that was slightly corked? This second time it was really not as good, more acidic. I wasn’t sure if it was down to the wine or the lower quality tinned tomatoes I’d had to use. Based on your take I’ll blame the tomatoes!
I'm not sure about corked - I think lightly would be ok but I'd be wary of cooking with something really stinky as the flavours might linger even with cooking.
There is a Raymond Blanc recipe for Coq au Vin where you start with two bottles of red and boil down them down to the volume of one. Result is a very intense sauce (obviously). Worth trying. Incidentally, he suggests something cheap and Rhône-y. Even if you don't go to that length, giving the stuff a quick boil is usually a good shout. Must get a proper French poulet again and have another go.
That's interesting. Elizabeth David's daube de bouef recipe includes burning the alcohol off the wine by heating and the setting it on fire - huge fun.
It is - unless you torch your eyebrows by mistake...
This article made me nostalgic my Maman made Coq au vin and Boeuf Bourguignon regularly. I completely agree with your assessment of cooking wines. I have fussed in the past about which wine to use... Makes no difference. I mostly use my fridge forgotten "bottle bottoms" that I eventually commingle into 1 bottle... I suppose my house red or white blends! 😊
I too keep a wine 'solera' in the fridge which all the leftovers go into - perfect for cooking.
I LOVE that you called it a solera - it is much more technically precise than blend! Will you give me permission to use it! :) or is it considered fair use! :D
I'd always use cheap red to cook with. For the coq au vin we had on new year's eve I used a Corbieres
I've often thought it would be fun, though perhaps not a lot of fun, to make two side by side with smart wine and ordinary, and then do a blind tasting. Maybe one for when I retire.
I’m hungry!
I have Brutto and can’t wait to try.
It is superb though not a good one if you're in a hurry. I'd even suggest making it two days in advance as it just gets richer the longer you leave it.
Since I discovered it a few years ago, I often cook Coq au Riesling and did so this New Year's Eve. It's tangy creaminess is very different from rich, dark coq au vin and to my taste rather more sophisticated. The recipe from Felicity Cloake's Guardian How To Make The Perfect series is excellent and discusses other chefs' variations. I use an 'ordinary' Alsace Riesling.
I'll have to try this, cooking with the ordinary and eating it with something more upmarket.