Ragout of Chicken and Onions in Red Wine

Julia Child's Favorite Chicken Recipes

From the kitchen of Julia Child

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Servings:4

Difficulty: Moderate

Cook Time: 30-60 min

Legendary chef Julia Child appeared on "Good Morning America" on May 11, 1995, with her Ragout of Chicken recipe.

Ingredients

2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying chicken parts

2 tbs. butter

1 tbs. olive oil (or good cooking oil)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 or 2 large cloves of garlic, pureed

1 imported bay leaf

1/4 tsp or so thyme

1 large ripe red unpeeled tomato, chopped, (or 1/3 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes)

3 cups young red wine (Zinfandel, Macon or Chianti type)

1 cup chicken stock (or more)

Beurre manie, for the sauce (1 1/2 tbs. each flour softened butter blended to a paste)

Fresh parsley sprigs (or chopped parsley)

Special Equipment

A heavy-bottomed 12-inch frying pan (or casserole 2 inches deep)

A cover for the pan (or an electric frying pan)

Cooking Directions

Browning the chicken -- about 5 minutes. Dry the chicken parts thoroughly, and brown in hot butter and oil. Remove to a side dish, leaving the fat in the pan.

Simmering the chicken. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper; return it to the pan. Add the browned onions, and the garlic, bay, thyme and tomato. Pour in the wine and enough stock barely to cover the ingredients. Bring to the simmer; cover, and simmer slowly 20 minutes, or until the chicken is tender when pressed.

Finishing the chicken -- the sauce. Remove the chicken to a side dish, and spoon surface fat off the cooking juices. Pour the juices (and onions) into a saucepan and taste very carefully for strength and seasoning. Boil down rapidly if it needs strength, adding more of the seasonings if you think them necessary.

Off heat, whisk the beurre manie to make a lightly-thickened sauce. Bring briefly to the simmer -- the sauce should be just thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. Wash out the casserole; return the chicken to it, basting with the sauce and onions.

Ahead-of-time note: If you are not serving shortly, set aside uncovered. Or, for later serving, refrigerate uncovered. Cover when chilled.

Serving: Before serving, reheat, basting the chicken with the sauce; simmer a few minutes to rewarm nicely but not to overcook. Decorate with parsley and serve.

Suggested accompaniments: Either arrange the chicken on a hot platter and decorate with small steamed potatoes and parsley, or mound it on a bed of rice or noodles. You could also serve a fresh green vegetable, or follow the chicken with a tossed green salad and cheese. A light young red wine is recommended here, presumably the same one you used in the dish itself.