by Chrysa Smith
Some of my favorite food memories from working in NYC come from West 46th Street; affectionately known to locals and foodies as Restaurant Row. On a few stretches of that street are almost wall-to-wall eateries of every possible persuasion. From Joe Allen’s (theater hangout) and B. Smith’s (stylista/fashionista/restaranteur), to Barbetta’s (oldest Italian restaurant in NYC/Historically elegant) and Becco’s (Lidia Bastianich), it’s a haunt for Food Network celebs and would be celebs. And one of my regular stops was a quaint French bistro that is probably long gone. But memories of their Coq Au Vin are not.
I love such tasty ‘pot meals’ but prefer them prepared by someone else (except on special occasions) since they can be time-consuming. But lo and behold, there’s good news. Because some good, old fashioned American ingenuity has taken the once elegant and delicious French dish, and reduced it to the wintertime favorite: the crock pot.
Now, Julia Child might be appalled, but let me tell you, for a cold night, when you’re not planning on being in the kitchen all day, I gave one such meal a shot—and it was surprisingly good. Of course, meat that is smothered in sauce and melts in your mouth, is ooh la la luscious.
I got my recipe from the Better Homes & Gardens site shown below. It’s simple, it’s tasty and quick—plus they’ve got an entire host of other crock pot dishes to try these winter weeks. It’s only six ingredients, and I even fudged the beef/onion soup thing by using a bit of beef bullion, and smidges of steak sauce and worcestershire sauce (plus some extra frozen pearl onions) for flavor. I made it when my father-in-law was here, and he kept picking from the pot long after the meal was done.
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http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chicken/slow-cooker-coq-au-vin/
Got a favorite savory, slow cook recipe? Please spread the word.
One of the must features for the crock pot is a removable inside with cover. This lets you store leftovers in the fridge and slip it back in the next day for even more flavor.
You can substitute breasts, although my husband, a breast man, did eat the thighs and other parts because of the tenderness and the sauce.
Mmmmm…sounds yummy. I love to eat, but don’t always like to cook, especially after 30 years of feeding a family every night. This is a perfect solution. Get it prepared early and have it ready to eat without the 5 o’clock scramble. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Sounds great. My family only eats breasts though. I’ll just substitute. I’m in the market for a new slow cooker. Any recommendations?
Sounds and looks great. My family only eats breasts but I imagine that you can just substitute. I am also in the market for a new “crock pot” any recommendations.