If you come into the Midtown Mercantile Mall right now you might not smell French cooking but you will certainly visualize it. Upstairs in the gazebo you’ll find everything you’ll need to make your own kitchen start speaking with a French accent! Oui oui!
Upstairs in the gazebo ~ Our French Country Kitchen
You’ll find antique cutting boards, copper molds, bundt pans, heavy copper pots, French decorative plates, serving pieces, rolling pins, madeleine molds, wooden spoons, ironstone bowls, bread molds, beautiful antique olive buckets, vintage cookbooks, etc., etc.
Madeleine anyone?
Vintage cutting boards
Don’t forget to look up! Check out those copper pots.
Antique copper fish mold
Vintage rolling pins
Once you’ve decorated your kitchen here’s a somewhat simplified recipe for “coq au vin” that you can make in your crockpot. Then, you you can experience the aroma of your own “French country kitchen.”
“Coq au Vin”
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 slices bacon, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 (12-ounce) package white or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cup red wine
2 large sprigs fresh thyme
Method:
Arrange chicken on a large sheet of waxed paper. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly coat chicken all over with flour and set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until golden and just crisp, 3 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside. Discard drippings and wipe out skillet. Melt 2 tablespoons butter (or heat oil, if using) in same skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large plate as done and set aside.
Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter or oil in same skillet. Add mushrooms and cook until edges begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots, onions, garlic and salt and cook until vegetables just begin to soften. Transfer vegetables and broth to crock pot. Arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle bacon over chicken. Add wine and thyme sprigs. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours. Season with salt and pepper, then serve. Enjoy!
Carol Fenn 2-2017
Midtown Mercantile Merc 