Coq Au Vin Blanc Meatballs
Coq Au Vin Blanc Meatballs
This delightful recipe comes from the cookbook by Tieghan Gerard called Half Baked Harvest Every Day. I will include the full book details at the end of the post.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Serves 4
The recipe suggests serving them with either French Fries or Mash Potatoes. I’m currently trying to dial back my Carbs consumptions, so I opted to enjoy them just the meatballs in the heavenly cream sauce. I served Andy’s over mash potatoes… he can use all the Carbs he can get!
Ingredients
1 lb. Ground Chicken
1 Large egg, beaten
1/3 Cup panko breadcrumbs
Fine pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground pepper (or whatever salt and pepper you have handy)
2 Slices thick-cut bacon, chopped (I upped it to 4 because Andy and I love bacon!)
3 Cups shiitake or cremini mushrooms, sliced (I used Baby Bella mushrooms … turns out they are the same as cremini!)
2 Tablespoons salted butter (I used unsalted butter… I never use salted butter)
2 Shallots, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, plus more for serving
Crushed red pepper flakes
3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
1 ½ Cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
¾ Cup milk of your choice or Heavy Cream (I used the heavy cream)
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Directions
Before I start, I spend time chopping and grating etc… all my ingredients so the steps that follow are easier and you can focus on the cooking.
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Coat your hands with a bit of olive oil, then roll the meat mixture into 1-inch(ish) balls and place them on a plate. This mixture is really sticky so the olive oil is an excellent tip! Depending on how big you rolled the balls you should have between 15 and 20 meatballs.
Place the back in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, keeping a eye on it so as not to burn or cause excess smoke which will set off your smoke alarm! Bacon is the worst for that kind of thing! Cook, stirring occasionally until the bacon is crispy, about 5 minutes. I’ve found that bacon cooks faster when it is diced, I’m also less likely to set off the smoke alarm when it is cut into smaller pieces. No idea why! Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate, reserving the fat in the skillet. Cooking with bacon fat makes everything that follows taste so much more flavorful!
Next, add the meatballs to the same skillet and cook them over medium heat. As they cook, turn them a few times, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the meatballs to the same plate as the bacon.
Add the olive oil to the same skillet and warm over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly softened and they have released some of their juices; this should take about 3 minutes. Add the butter, shallots, thyme and a pinch each of salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are golden brown and the shallots have softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, maybe 1 more minute. Transfer the mushrooms to the same plate with the meatballs and bacon.
Pour the wine and ¼ cup of water into the skillet. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Next stir in the milk and mustard. Return the bacon, meatballs and mushrooms to the skillet and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened and everything is warmed through and coated with the goodness of the sauce, 5 to 10 minutes.
Transfer the meatballs to plates and spoon the sauce over them. If you are serving them with mash potatoes, plate the potatoes and serve the meatballs and sauce over the top. Garnish with fresh thyme.
Bon Appetit!
Half Baked Harvest Every Day
By Tieghan Gerard
ISBN 978-0-593-23255-2
Page: 186
