France – Chef Ryan Grimm

Made famous in the U.S. by Julia Childs both in her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and the cooking demonstrations she did on PBS, Coq au Vin is a perfect dish to try as summer comes to an end and the weather begins to cool. This classic French dish has its origins in rustic peasant cooking. Peasants could generally only afford the cheapest meats that their ‘betters’ had no desire for. This meant that instead of fresh young chicken or ‘poulet’ they were forced to buy rooster or ‘coq’, which was generally tough and stringy. Given the toughness of the rooster, the peasants needed to find a way of tenderizing the bird, the preferred method for this was braising. At its heart, Coq au Vin is a stew and often includes onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and usually served with potatoes or pasta.

Coq au Vin

1 Whole Chicken, cut into 8 pieces
¼ cup all-purpose flour for dusting
4 slice smoked bacon – Cut into short strips or ‘lardons’
6 ounces button mushroom, washed and medium diced
1 cup pear onions – peeled
1 cup diced – medium carrot
1 cup celery – medium diced
4 garlic clove – chopped
4 oz brandy
1 bottle dry red wine
1 tablespoons tomato paste
4 sprig fresh thyme
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Dust the chicken with salt, pepper, and flour. Set to side.
In a heavy cast iron pot, render the bacon until crisp, remove the bacon and set aside to use later. Slowly add the chicken and cook over medium heat until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Turn chicken and continue cooking until golden brown.
Remove chicken from the pan and add the celery, carrot, onion, garlic and mushroom; cook until lightly caramelized.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine and brandy and add the tomato paste, chicken, bacon and thyme. Bring to a boil than turn down to a simmer on very low heat and cover for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is tender and begins falling off the bone.
Gently remove the chicken and allow the sauce to reduce by half. Once the sauce has thickened, return the chicken and serve with your favorite pasta or potatoes!

On my Travels in Europe I had the opportunity to visit many beautiful places, all of which had their own regional specialties. One such place was Dijon France. Located in the heart of Burgundy, Dijon is the capital of the famed wine region. Previously the home of Louis II de la Trémoille and the Dukes of Burgundy from the 11th to 15th centuries, Dijon was a place of substantial wealth and power and one of the great European centers of art, learning, science, and food.

Who Knew There Where So Many
Kinds of Mustard?

Known for its mustard, Dijon also offers fabulous wine, spectacular French cuisine, museums, shops, gardens, and breathtaking views of the Burgundy hills. The palace of the Dukes now houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon. The museum is one of the largest in France and is known for its paintings, sculptures, armor, and various artifacts dating back to the period of Antiquity; one such relic is a pair of intricately carved coffins, of all things. Should you ever find yourself in France, this museum is definitely worth the visit.

Down the street from the Dukes Palace is the Church of Notre-Dame of Dijon. Once a simple chapel, construction on the gothic masterpiece that sits there now began in 1220. Adorned with gargoyles, stained glass, an automaton and an owl, this church is a must see. When visiting the church is tradition to rub the owl with your left hand while making a wish, with any luck, the wish will come true and good luck will follow. Sadly, in 2001, a vandal smashed the owl several time with a hammer. Fortunately, a specialist from the Louvre was able to restore the owl to its former glory.

Wine Aging in the cellar at
Château de Marsannay

One of my favorite exploits in Dijon was visiting wineries. My favorite was Château de Marsannay. During a private tour, they presented us eight wines to taste, including two Grand Cru. The 2013 Chambertin Grand Cru was extraordinary. Hardy, well-structured and tasting of vanilla, smoke, blackberries and cherries, this wine will always have a place at my table. Walking down the stairs to the cellar felt like walking back in time. The dim-lit vault smelt of earth and oak and just a hint of the beautiful wine that it stored. There were hundreds of barrels, row after row waiting to reach their full potential. In another were thousands of bottles of wine simply waiting for their moment.

As for the city’s namesake mustard, it was delightful and surprising. In the U.S. we are accustomed to only a single flavor of Dijon mustard but upon arriving in the city, I learned that Dijon mustard comes in a variety of flavors. I counted at least 20, some of which included: mushroom, berry, beet, basil, chili and saffron. I even found a couple mustard ‘Bars’ that had it on tap.It is impossible to visit this city without enjoying a spectacular meal. Every restaurant you walk past has a blend of sweet and savory aromas wafting out the front door.