Bye Bye Big Week

Well, it's Sunday afternoon and both Big Week and my annual vacation are winding down.  For those of you who don't live nearby, "Big Week" in Salinas is when California Rodeo Salinas occurs.  Lasting 4 days -- Thursday - Sunday -- the Rodeo is one of the biggest events in Monterey County all year.  Horse parades, bronco busting, barrel races and lots and lots of bbq fill the Rodeo grounds.  Wednesday night brings a professional bull riding competition, as well, with riders from around the world vying for fame by staying on a very competitive (they are; I've seen their eyes), bred-to-buck bull for over 8 seconds.

I've been cooking and serving steak as a Rodeo volunteer since Thursday, and as of yesterday afternoon, I am officially "steaked out" (pun totally intentional).  So tonight I'm making coq au vin -- a fancy French name that means "chicken with wine."  I have been making this recipe since I was in 6th grade, and have adapted it and changed it over the years to make it my own.  It has no particular connection to the farmers' market, but it's what I'm in the mood to cook.  Now, I want to share it with you:

Fry 4 slices of bacon in a dutch oven or other large stovetop pot.  Drain off most of the fat and set it aside.

Add one sliced onion, 3 sliced carrots, and 3 sliced ribs of celery to the pot and let them get soft and a little brown in spots -- about 8-10 minutes over low heat.  Pay attention to them so they don't burn.

Remove the vegetables and set aside.  Return some of the bacon fat to the pan if necessary, along with a tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil.  Let it get hot enough to ripple and put in 4 chicken thighs, bone, skin and all.  You could use a whole chicken, cut up, but then you've got the issue of the dark meat cooking faster than the white meat, the breasts drying out, etc. Also, the white meat discolors in the wine. If you want to be fat-conscious, you could use chicken breasts, but use the bone-in ones.  I only like to be fat-conscious in the sense that I want to exclaim with delight, "how much freaking butter is IN this, anyway???"

Season the thighs with salt and pepper, and brown on both sides.  Throw all the vegetables back into the pot and add a half-bottle of wine and a cup of chicken stock, chicken boullion, or chicken broth - whatever you have handy.  And please, step away from the "cooking wine"; use something you actually like drinking.  While you add the wine, use a spatula to scrape up as much of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as possible.

Bring the whole pot to a boil.  Add some salt (about 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon) and pepper  (4-5 grindings), a couple of bay leaves, a sprig of fresh rosemary, some dried thyme (about 1/2 teaspoon), reduce to a simmer, put a lid on the pot and let it go for about 45 minutes (longer if you like), stirring occasionally.  Take out a thigh and cut into it - the juices should run clear and there should be no trace of pink.

Take everything out of the pot and put it on a platter, covered with aluminum foil.  Remove and discard the bay leaves and the rosemary stem.  Skim the fat off the top of the pot (yes, I know what I said earlier, but there are limits!) and cook the juices down for about 20-30 minutes to reduce (thicken).  You can also cheat a little and mix 1-2 T. cornstarch with 1-2 T. cold water, add it to the pot and bring to a boil to thicken.  Taste and adjust the seasonings, then put each thigh into a bowl with some veg and pour the sauce over it.  It can be - and should be, to my mind - a little soupy.  Top with chopped/crumbled bacon bits.

Serve with a nice green salad and a slice of french bread for dipping.  This recipe serves 4 people, with some good leftovers.  Enjoy, and until next time, I'll see you at the market!