Coq au vin

Ingredients

1 x 1.3kg organic chicken , jointed into 8 (see steps and method) 5 tbsp plain flour 75ml olive oil 250g smoked streaky bacon , cut in pieces 1 onion , chopped 2 carrots , peeled and roughly chopped 2 leeks , trimmed, washed and roughly chopped 250g shallots , peeled, but left whole 2 sprigs fresh rosemary 2 sprigs fresh thyme 2 bay leaves 100ml cognac 1 bottle red wine , preferably from Burgundy 100ml chicken stock (preferably homemade (see Know-how below) 250g fresh cep mushrooms or large chestnut mushrooms, trimmed and thickly sliced

1.

Joint the chicken (for pictures of jointing, click on step by step link above or read the instructions below. Alternatively, ask the butcher to do it for you). 2. JOINTING THE CHICKEN: Pull out the wing joints and cut off the wing tip. Using a small knife, cut around the skin and flesh on the lower wing joint through to the bone, then scrape back the flesh. Using a heavier large knife, smash through the bone halfway along and detach. Repeat on the other side. 3. Detach the scaly leg bone at the drumstick with a hefty thump of the large knife. Slash through skin where the thigh joins the body and pull leg firmly from socket to dislocate the thigh bone. Press down and pull to expose the 'oyster' muscle underneath the bird. Slice the thigh away from the back of the body. 4. Lay the whole leg joint out on the board, find the mid-point socket joint and simply cut straight through it for neat thigh and leg joints. Repeat on the other side. 5. Cut through the skin and flesh halfway along to the drumstick and scrape back the flesh, then smash through the bone. Using poultry scissors or heavy kitchen scissors, cut away the back half of the breast carcass, to leave a 'crown' of chicken breast and wing joint. Cut through the top of the crown to divide in half for two chicken breasts. 6. Lay each breast joint on the board, then cut in half again at right angles so you have one portion with a wing joint and one without. You should now have eight neat, joints of chicken. 7. Put the flour into a bowl with some salt and pepper, then toss in the chicken, shaking off the excess. Place the chicken on a plate and season again. 8. Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a large shallow pan and brown the chicken joints. (Do this in batches if your pan is not large enough, adding extra oil if necessary.) Tip the bacon into the pan along with the chicken, stirring until lightly browned and crisp. Using tongs, remove the chicken to a plate. 9. Add all the vegetables and herbs to the bacon with a splash more oil, if necessary, then cook for about 5 mins, stirring once or twice. Pour in the Cognac and bubble up, scraping the pan to deglaze, for 2-3 mins. Then pour in all the wine and bring to the boil. 10. Tip in the chicken joints; press into the pan so they are immersed in liquid and cook, uncovered, for 10 mins, until the wine has reduced by half. Pour in the stock, return to a simmer, season and cook,

uncovered, for 1 hr until the liquid has reduced by half and the chicken is tender. Set aside for 10 mins before serving. 11. Heat another 4 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and, when hot, fry the mushrooms for about 8 mins, seasoning well and stirring frequently until nicely browned. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Serve the chicken in bowls with vegetables and sauce spooned over, and top with the mushrooms. 12.

Making chicken stock Carcasses, wing tips, etc can be used to make fresh chicken stock. Put the chicken bones in a deep pan and cover with 2 litres of water. Bring to the boil, ladle off any white froth, then add 2 chopped celery sticks, 1 chopped leek, 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped large carrot, a few garlic cloves and a sprig of thyme. Bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer for 2 hrs. Strain the stock through a fine sieve and use as directed, or leave to cool and then freeze.

Per serving
994 kcalories, protein 66g, carbohydrate 12g, fat 63 g, saturated fat 17g, fibre 5g, sugar 10g, salt 3.75 g

Preparation and cooking times

Salad Nicoise Ingredients

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First, make the dressing. Tip the olives, anchovies and garlic into a large mortar and mash with a pestle until you have a very rough paste. Scrape into a bowl, if you like, stir in the lemon juice, olive oil and vinegar, then set aside. Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 15 mins until tender, then drain and set aside. Cook the beans in boiling salted water for 4-5 mins until tender with a slight crunch. Drain, tip into iced water, then drain again and set aside. Boil a small pan. Halve the potatoes and heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan. Place the potatoes cut-side down in the pan and sizzle for about 4 mins until golden and crisp. Toss the potatoes in the pan to brown on all sides, then turn up the heat and add the tomatoes. Fry the tomatoes for about 1 min until just starting to blister, then season. Splash in 1 tbsp of the balsamic vinegar, then turn off the heat and scatter over the basil. To cook the tuna, place a non-stick frying pan over a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and add 1 tbsp oil. Season the tuna generously, then sear for 4 mins, leaving it undisturbed in the pan to brown. Turn over and continue to cook for 4 mins on the other side. This will give you very rare tuna. For rare, cook for 2 mins more on each side and for well done, add another 4 mins on each side. Set the tuna aside to rest for a few mins. To serve, whisk the remaining oil and vinegar with the lemon juice in a small bowl and toss in the lettuce wedges. Place a spoonful of olive dressing into 2 serving bowls, arrange the potatoes and tomatoes over, then put a pile of beans on top. Slice the tuna in half at a slight angle and place each half on top of the beans. Wedge the lettuce around the outside, halve the eggs and position in between the lettuce. Dollop a small spoonful of olive dressing on each egg.

Gordon's tip Fresh, seared tuna is infinitely better with this salad than tinned. I like to cook both portions of tuna as a whole piece, which is easier to cook, and then slice it into two once it's done. Rather than adding too many ingredients to the salad, I've taken the olives and anchovies from the classic version and incorporated them into a dressing. Gordon says... I learned to make the classic Salad Nioise when I cooked on a yacht off the South of France. Over the past decade, I've evolved this salad and it now appears frequently on my menus, sometimes as a simple starter or, as I've done here, with a whole piece of beautifully fresh fish as a main course. Whatever guise this dish takes, it must be the finest summer salad of all. Is it sustainable? When you are shopping for tuna, ask your fishmonger how it has been caught. 'Pole and line' is the most sustainable method as it avoids 'bycatch', which is when other species get caught at the same time. However, it is a time-consuming and expensive method, so you're more likely to find 'line caught' tuna - the next best method. Which tuna? There are two types of tuna - yellowfin and bluefin. Yellowfin is the one you will find at most fishmongers and supermarkets. Bluefin is an endangered species, very expensive and mostly used in sushi and sahimi restaurants.

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Cook 30 mins