I was half-way reading through Michael Bauer's "The Secrets of Success Cookbook" when it struck me that I wanted to cook almost every recipe in this book and this is a rare occurrence even when I deem a cookbook to be excellent. Bauer, a San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic, has compiled a number of original recipes which, in his opinion, represented the best San Francisco in the year 2000 had to offer. In case you wonder, I was reading a 10 year-old book on San Francisco's best restaurants not because I have run out of cookbooks to read at midnight but because I lived there for a while and have a soft spot for it.

The beauty of this book is that Bauer doesn't just refer to fine dining establishments but scours high and low for the best version of any dish he fancies. Some recipes come from chefs likeThomas Keller while others represent restaurants located in San Francisco Bay Area's suburban shopping malls. Michael Bauer won't discriminate where food is concerned. He knows not to judge an eating establishment by its looks or location. Good food is everywhere, you just have to  give it a go or you might miss out on a gem, methinks.

Although this book isn't new, the recipes don't sound dated. Case in point, coq au vin. Coq au vin is one of those simple, irrefutably delicious dishes that is so easy to ruin with fancy adulterations and that is exactly why this recipe in Bauer's book caught my eye. Chef Philippe Jeanty uses cocoa powder to intensify the flavour in the  coq au vin's reduced wine broth. Although I had a recipe for coq au vin that I really liked over all others I just knew I had to try this one. Mind you, this is my rendition of Jeanty's recipe but it has the same spirit. The flavours are intense and complex with a lot of umami and with not even a hint of cocoa flavour, wonderful.

I must apologise for the quality of the picture. We decided to let the chicken sit for 24 hours before eating it in order to let it rest and develop further flavour but I forgot to take a picture of it while it was freshly cooked. That's how the pot looked after the chicken had been sitting in there for a day and then messed about with servers and ladles. You are smart and you got the gist, right? The chicken is good, never mind the sorry picture.

Coq au Vin
 
Serves 6 
  • Beaujolais: 4 cups
  • Free-range chicken: 2 kg, jointed
  • Heads of garlic: 2, halved lengthways
  • Medium sized onions: 4, quartered
  • Parsley stalks: 3      
  • Fresh bay leaves: 2    
  • Sprigs of thyme: 2  
  • Salt: 3 teaspoons
  • Olive oil: 3 tablespoons     
  • Butter: 120 grams, coarsely chopped, at room temperature
  • Flour: 3 tablespoons
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder: 2 tablespoons
  • Piece of pancetta: 200 grams, cut into 1 cm pieces
  • Small pickling onions: 12    
  • Brandy: ½ cup
  • Chicken stock: 2 cups    
  • Plain flour: 1 heaped tablespoon
  • Mixed small mushrooms such as pine, Swiss brown and button, trimmed and washed: 500 grams    
  • Flat-leaf parsley: ¼ cup, coarsely chopped 


Mashed potato:

  • Any red-skinned potatoes: 1 kilo, peeled, cut into quarters and boiled in salty water until easily pierced with a fork (about 15 minutes)
  • Butter: 50 grams, coarsely chopped
  • Pouring cream: 1/2 cup  
 
1    In a non-metallic vessel marinate chicken in Beaujolais, garlic heads, chopped onions and herbs, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, preferably 48.

2    Dry chicken pieces, heat oil and 30 grams of the butter in a large casserole over medium-high heat, add chicken pieces and fry for about 10 minutes, turning until golden, then transfer to a plate and keep warm.

3    Pour over brandy into the casserole and ignite with a long match. When flames are extinguished add Beaujolais, marinated onions and garlic and stock to the casserole pan, bring to a boil then return chicken pieces to the casserole. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper though don't add too much salt at this point because you still have to reduce the sauce  later. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

4    Remove chicken pieces and transfer to a platter. Strain cooking liquid and discard solids through a sieve or colander. Mix cocoa powder with 1/2 cup of cooking liquid in a small bowl. Pour cooking liquid back into the casserole along with cocoa powder and liquid mix and reduce at medium-high heat until there are 3 cups of liquid left, this might take 20-30 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer.

5    Combine flour and 20gm butter into a paste, whisk into sauce and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Transfer chicken back into the casserole.

6    In a large frying pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, add pancetta and cook for 5 minutes or until golden, add mushrooms and pickling onions and cook until they are both golden and most of the excess moisture has been cooked off. Drain off excess fat, add pancetta, mushrooms and pickling onions to the casserole, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

7    For mashed potato, drain cooked potatoes and pass through a potato ricer into saucepan, add butter and cream, season to taste and stir to combine.

8    Serve chicken and sauce scattered with parsley, with mashed potato on the side.