Monday, February 2, 2015

Tour of France in an Okemos home

Our friends invited us to dinner the other night. My girlfriend is an amazing cook.  She has theme dinner parties.  This party was French themed.   Oh Mon Dieu!  Her husband made a french cocktail with whiskey and home made simple syrup.  Good way to start.  As I have said before, some of the best meals can be consumed in the warmth and comfort of a friends home.

She started us off with an amazing salad made of pears, sharp cheese, fennel stalks and kumquats.  It was so good!  Fresh and light, with the tange of the cheese and the sweetness of the pears paring beautifully.  My husband loved it too!


She then proceed to serve us French Onion soup.  It was savory and cheesy and OO La La!!! I would have asked for a second bowl but I knew the main meal was on its way.  Here is a photo of the recipe so you can enjoy it as much as I did.







She made Chicken Tarragon.  I could smell it when we arrived, and I was dying to taste it all evening.  I was so excited that she has created the main portion of it in a crockpot!  This tidbit would allow me the benefit of making it for my family more often!  She added the cream protion and the tarragon at the end allowing for the perfect blend of flavors.  It was a beautiful dish!  

I have included the recipe and I hope our recreations come close to her masterpiece.

Slow-Cooker Chicken with White Wine, Tarragon, and Cream
Recipe by Cook’s Country
www.cookscountry.com
If cremini mushrooms (a.k.a. baby bellas) are unavailable, substitute portobello mushroom caps, cut into 1-inch pieces. Fresh tarragon,unlike its dried counterpart, has a distinctive anise-like flavor that
is crucial in this dish.

Serves 6
6split bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (10 to 12 ounces each), or 12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (6 to 8 ounces each), trimmed
2tablespoons vegetable oil 
1 1/4pounds cremini mushrooms , quartered
1onion , chopped medium
4cloves garlic , minced
1 3/4cups dry white wine 
1cup low-sodium chicken broth 
1tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves  or 1 teaspoon dried
2bay leaves 
1pound carrots , peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
1/4cup all-purpose flour 
1cup heavy cream 
1/4cup minced fresh tarragon 
1tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
1. Dry the chicken with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, about 10 minutes, then add to the slow cooker. (Remove the browned skin if using chicken thighs.) Return the skillet to medium-high heat and repeat with 2 more teaspoons oil and the remaining chicken. Discard any fat left in the skillet.
2. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the empty skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until the mushrooms are brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour into the slow cooker.
3. Add the broth, thyme, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Nestle the carrots into the slow cooker around the edges. Cover and cook on low until the chicken is tender, about 4 hours.
4.Transfer the chicken to a large serving dish and tent loosely with foil. Discard the bay leaves. Set the slow cooker to high. Whisk the flour with the cream until smooth, then stir into the slow cooker.
Cover and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15 to 30 minutes longer. Stir in the tarragon and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the vegetables and some of the sauce over the chicken and serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.
http://laurasbestrecipes.com/2009/09/slow-cooker_chicken_with_white_wine_tarragon_and_cream/

To make the evening perfect she served a french cream cake.  It had crispy layers with cream layers.   It was sweet but not too sweet with an a rich chocolate ganache topping!  Wow~

When I was half way through my piece of cake, I remembered that she had make carrot cake cupcakes for the kids.  The little carrots on top were made from rolled mascarpone and the leaves of the fennel plant.  So creative!!!
I proceeded to eat a carrot cake cupcake and then, of course, I finished my cake!  Don't tell anyone I had two desserts!  But they were awesome!! 


Hopefully, with these recipes and ideas you can create a meal that leaves you as happy as I was with this meal!

Happy Eating!