Dec 22nd, 2009 by hotinlittlerock
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It is snowy and cold out here in the country where we are celebrating the holidays. Our children and grandchildren haven’t arrived yet, and we are yearning for something hearty and easy. So, tonight we will make chicken in red wine. We can’t remember where we first had this, but think it was in Boston, perhaps forty years ago or more. It was a small restaurant and we had to walk down some steps to enter. At one end there was a large fireplace with a roaring fire. We were chilled and were lucky enough to be seated by the fire. So, the memories of chicken in red wine are almost as warming as the meal itself.
We’ll really make it easy on ourselves and resort to “semi-homemade.” We’ll start by browning four slices of bacon in a dutch oven. When the bacon is done, drain it on a paper towel. Then place two chicken breasts in the bacon drippings and brown on both sides. Set the chicken aside. Remove some of the bacon drippings then add one or two tablespoons of flour and make a roux. Cook for a minute or so. Then, add a cup of red wine, and two cups of chicken broth. Return the bacon and chicken to the pot. Now the easy part. Open a bag of frozen vegetables meant for stew, and dump them in the pot. Add a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme, two cloves of garlic, and a small can of mushrooms. Cover and cook over a low flame until the chicken is tender. A salad and a loaf of crusty bread will finish things off nicely.
Tonight we will have a 2007 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon (minus the cup that went into the chicken dish). We think this wine needs to have some time to breathe so we’ll leave it open while the chicken cooks. Two to three hours might be even better. There are nice aromas of chocolate and red berries, which we also found on the palate along with some spice. There was a nice mouthfeel and soft tannins. It is a great wine to go in and with the chicken. Warm and comforting.
We hope you and yours have a warm, cozy, comforting, and utterly joyful holiday.
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Posted in Wine
