Lesson from the Grand Dame: take time to slow down and cook

While speeding through yet another day at light speed, I came across a quote recently that really struck me. It went like this “Smile, breathe and go slowly.” - Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist monk.  Uh, ok, I get it. Of course I get it – in theory, and I’m already 2/3 rds there. Smile: check, breathe: kinda necessary, Go slowly: uh, err, WHAT??
Not too long after that I came across an article about a company who is going to market boiled and shelled eggs to the uber busy. Too busy to boil an egg!!!!???? (you should see the incredulous look on my face). Now THAT was a reality check. Evidently I am not the only one at the table ordering over commitment well done, with a side of frustration, and a lack of peace and quiet for dessert.
Why must a meal always suffer the busy person?  I can see it now: Ma’am, back away from the frozen pizza and get your hands off the microwave, that’s right- nice and slow. Sheesh! Sometimes my imagination goes overboard. However, if any of us dare say the above offenses have not taken place in the privacy of our own homes, we’d all be liars and as my sister would say “that just ain’t right.”
Admittedly, I tend to go too fast and take on too much, in fact my friend Dawn told me the other day I don’t walk- I run. Well the buck stops here (sorry, November is coming, had to do it) I might have weathered the quote that had me perplexed as to HOW to go slowly, in fact I might have just gone about my day but the boiled and shelled ready to eat eggs threw me over the edge. I knew immediately what needed to be done. I needed to slow down and get back to my roots. I needed a good, time intensive French comfort dish to remind me of the true meaning of eating slowly and savoring your food.
I decided on Coq au Vin (chicken in wine sauce) but with dove season in full gear, I decided to go with dove. (No offense chicken) However if your freezer offers you no delicious dove, stick with one of our wonderful local chickens like Holmes or Buddy’s! I will forewarn, unless you are committed to taking a deep breath and spending a goodly portion of your day in the kitchen—wait on this recipe.  If you want my opinion, I think with this beee-utiful fall weather, this makes a perfect Sunday after church, windows open, glass of wine a la Julia, music a little loud, way to spend your afternoon/evening. In other words: START BEFORE 5 p.m., unless you want your family to be sitting at the table with pitchforks and growling bellies. At this point, you’ve been told, so don’t blame me...
Along my culinary road, there have been many inspirations, and I would be no chef at all if I didn’t bow to The Julia. I use her recipe every time. Every. Single Time. It is well written, delicious, and fail-safe. The only thing I do is exchange dove for the chicken- and OF COURSE take full advantage of  our fine local products.  I also opt for a long handled grill lighter vs. a stubby little match when igniting my cognac. (DO NOT put your face anywhere near pan when doing this, pull your hair back if it’s long and don’t let your 3 year old try and help).
Halfway through my Colombe (dove) au Vin –a thon, it all comes back to me. The slowing down and savoring thing I mean.  My mind actually un-jumbled before my very eyes.....
I would walk you through the process, but then my column would be 3000 words, and Nikki might kill me. Seriously. Trust the recipe, and don’t cut corners. Remember this about savoring the dish, not rushing. I have also included the mindfulness list that inspired this newfound affair with taking the time. It truly reminded me to walk, not run.
Here is the Grande Dame Julia Child’s recipe for Coq au Vin.
Please cook it and eat it in good health!...Or as she would say “ Bon Appetit.”

COQ AU VIN
The following recipe comes from a 1961 copy of Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”

A 3- to 4-ounce chunk of lean bacon
A heavy, 10-inch, fireproof casserole or an electric skillet
2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 to 3 pounds cut-up frying chicken or dove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup cognac
3 cups young, full-bodied red wine, such as Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône or Chianti
1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock, brown stock or canned beef bouillon
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
12-24 brown-braised onions
1/2 pound sauteed mushrooms
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons softened butter
Sprigs of fresh parsley

Remove the rind of bacon and cut into lardons (rectangles 1/4 inch across and 1 inch long). Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in cold water. Dry.

Sauté the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very lightly browned (temperature 260 degrees for an electric skillet). Remove to a side dish.

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat in the casserole (360 degrees for the electric skillet).

Season the chicken. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly (300 degrees) for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.

Uncover and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside.

Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herbs. Bring to the simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow when the meat is
pricked with a fork. Remove the chicken to a side dish.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for a minute or two, skimming off the fat. Then raise the heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Correct seasoning. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf.

Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (beurre manié). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to the simmer, stirring, and simmer for a minute or two. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

Arrange the chicken in the casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it and baste with the sauce. Serve from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with sprigs of parsley.

Brown-Braised Onions:
12 to 24 small white onions, peeled (or double the amount if you want
to use tiny frozen peeled raw onions)*
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

* If neither frozen nor fresh pearl onions are available, substitute one large onion cut into 1/2-inch pieces. (Do not use jarred pearl onions, which will turn mushy and disintegrate into the sauce.)

While chicken is cooking, drop onions into boiling water, bring water back to the boil, and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain. Cool onions in ice water. Shave off the two ends (root and stem ends) of each onion, peel carefully, and pierce a deep cross in the root end with a small knife (to keep onions whole during cooking).

In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil, add parboiled onions, and toss for several minutes until lightly browned (this will be a patchy brown). Add water to halfway up onions and add 1/4 to1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover pan and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes or until onions are tender when pierce with a knife.

Mushrooms:
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small,
sliced or quartered if large
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Prepare mushrooms. In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat butter and olive oil; when bubbling hot, toss in mushrooms and saute over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat.