MMMMM---------------------TO GARNISH (ONIONS--------------------------
1/2 lb Button onions
3/4 oz Butter
1 tb Oil
5 fl Stock, bouillon or wine
1 md Herb bouquet
MMMMM-------------------TO GARNISH (MUSHROOMS------------------------
1/2 lb Button mushrooms
1 oz Butter
MMMMM--------------------------TO COOK-------------------------------
4 oz Bacon; in one piece
1 oz Butter
2 tb Tomato puree
4 fl Brandy (see notes)
5 fl Heavy cream
1 md Bouquet garni
Salt & pepper
1 tb Parsley; chopped
At least two days before you want to eat this dish, prepare the
marinade and the cock--please don't use a broiling chicken for this
dish, it bears no relationship to the flavour of a cock. If you
can't find one, get a real boiling fowl--but be aware that it will
not have much in common with the real thing. Slice the vegetables,
tie up the bouquet garni, parsley, bay & thyme, and place them with
the other ingredients in a large, non aluminium, saucepan. Bring to
a boil, simmer 5 minutes and then allow to cool completely. Cut up
the cock into serving pieces. As the bird is normally pretty big,
it is best to cut into about 12 pieces or even more.
When the marinade is cold, put in the meat, cover and leave 24
hours at least in a cool place. You can marinate longer in a
fridge.
At least one day before you wish to eat this dish, remove the meat
from the marinade and dry them thoroughly with a paper towel.
Strain the marinade and keep both vegetables and liquid,
separately, discard the bouquet garni.
Cut the bacon (streaky or English bacon from the belly) into
fingers the length of the thickness of the bacon piece, and 1/4"
square. If it is VERY salty, blanch these "lardons" 10 minutes,
refresh in cold water and then dry. In a large casserole, capable
of being heated on the top of the stove, melt the butter and gently
fry the lardons until very lightly browned and the fat extracted.
Remove the lardons and reserve. Preheat the oven to moderate (Mk 3,
300°F, 160°C). Brown the pieces of meat (you may find you have to
dry them again) in the hot fat in the casserole. Due to the
marinading, the meat will not go the usual brown colour. Do not
crowd the meat in the pan, so fry in batches as necessary, removing
meat to a side dish as cooked.
When all the meat is fried, put the strained marinading vegetables
in the pan, first sweat them gently, then raise the heat and fry,
stirring from time to time until they are lightly coloured. Remove
from the pan, and pour off any excess fat, but making sure that any
crusty bits are held back. Return the casserole to the heat and
return the meat and the lardons. Quickly warm the brandy a little,
and pour over the meat. Instantly, give it a shake and light it,
the flames will be exciting for a moment but keep shaking to burn
off remaining free fat, and to make sure that as much brandy as
possible burns. As the flames die down, pour over the marinade
liquid. Bring to the boil, and return browned vegetables. Add the
tomato puree, the new bouquet garni and bring to the boil. Put on
the lid and place the casserole towards the bottom of the oven.
Cook until the bird is nicely tender, but not falling off the bone.
For an elderly cock, this will take around 5 or more hours, for a
boiling fowl, from 2-3 hours normally. The whole idea of this
recipe is the marinating and long cooking to tenderise a tough
bird! Remove the casserole from the oven, and leave to cool before
putting overnight (or a day or so) in the fridge.
The day of the meal, prepare the garnishing vegetables. Peel the
button onions (blanch 10 seconds then immerse in cold water) and
brown them in a saute pan with the butter and oil. Shake them
about, and cook them for about 10 minutes. They won't brown very
evenly, but it doesn't matter. Now put in the bouquet garni and the
liquid which can be a red wine, white wine stock or even water.
Clap a lid on the sauteuse and simmer gently, shaking gently from
time to time to ensure the onions cook on all sides, until tender,
about 45 minutes, by which time most of the liquid will be
absorbed. While the onions are cooking, saute the carefully cleaned
(but NOT washed or peeled) mushrooms in very hot butter in a frying
pan, without allowing them to exude their liquid, ideally. When
the vegetables are done, keep to one side.
Shortly before the meal, remove the casserole from the fridge and
carefully remove all traces of supernatant fat. Heat gently on top
of the stove, shaking from time to time. When very hot, strain out
the marinade vegetables and bouquet garni, and return the sauce to
the pan. Correct seasoning, then add the garnishing vegetables.
Stir in (as best you can) the cream and simmer a few minutes to
allow the sauce to meld. Serve, sprinkled with chopped parsley, in
a large serving dish, surrounded by fried bread triangles, and with
plain boiled potatoes only, and the best red burgundy you can
afford!
