Roast chicken and veg...

More comfort food. Every time I leave my house on some sort of trip - business or otherwise - I become more and more fascinated with the simple comforts of food that reminds me of home. After this last little stint on the road, three cities in three days (while not the most arduous of trips... it was tiresome nonetheless), I arrived home with a list of recipe requests and a need for easy, simple comfort food.

I think everyone should be able to roast a chicken. As one of the easiest and most enjoyable of meals, it requires very little prep and fuss while satisfying a person completely. I'll get into roasting the whole chicken another time...

Now, this bit of roast chicken (pieces) and veg was a bit more calculated than simple satisfaction. One SKer friend wanted a simple, easy meal that would feed the family (this is for you, buddy!). Another wanted a tortilla soup. And I wanted a smoky soup. So, each component of this meal was to be first enjoyed, then repurposed into something a bit more than repetitive leftovers of days past.

Going for the gusto... Boeuf Bourguignon

Well, after starting off with an homage to family with the first Le Creuset endeavour, it only made sense to go big or go home with the next outing.

I have made Beef Bourguignon before but never nearly as faithfully as this attempt with Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking and her Boeuf Bourguignon.

The recipe is linked but I did make a few minor adjustments... I didn't boil the bacon rind. I just used a few strips of regular bacon. It was all that I could find. And, unfortunately, I had to omit the onions at the end, as I could not find any small onions at any of the markets, given the weather. I did make the buttered mushrooms though, which was a tremendous addition.

For the wine, I used a reasonably priced 2006 Georges Duboeuf Cotes du Rhone.

The result, after three hours of simmering in the oven, the straining and plating of the meal, was wonderful. It was probably the best boeuf bourguignon that I have ever made. I'm excited to eat it again today, as it only becomes better as it sits and the flavours continue to mingle.

Coq au Vin... according to me.

This couldn't be easier to make... or more impressive sounding. It's a beautiful chicken (traditionally, rooster) stew and requires very little fuss beyond choosing some high quality ingredients. The prep time on this was less than 20 minutes. (And it is probably fair to say that I wasn't working too quickly.) After that, like any stew, you can decide how long you would like to cook everything together. Obviously, as all of the ingredients have a chance to hang out and ask the other for a date, the flavours will mingle and intensify. You can easily make this recipe in advance and heat it gently before you are ready to serve. It's all up to you!
Lovely. Pretentious. Comfort food. :)