Food

  Today's tip of the week is going to be with garlic, and as far as I'm concerned there's not a dish with too much garlic and you can never have enough garlic around the house, but you need to select it and store it right to get all that flavor garlic has; ah…garlic!

When you buy your garlic this is what you want to look for, a beautiful white color all the way around. If it has a little bit of purple tinge to it that's OK, but make sure it's free from any sprouting whatsoever.

You can tell the new crop because when you squeeze it the new crop is firm; the old crop will start to break up. Now see this garlic here? You see how right here it's a little bit transparent, and when you squeeze it, see that? It breaks up like that; that's an old crop of garlic and you don't want that. You want to get the new crop because that's where the flavor is.

When you bring it home store it on the counter in a mesh basket so you can also look at it too because I love to look at a nice display of garlic, but do not, I mean do not store it in the refrigerator.

Garlic, the new crop is out there. Select it right to make sure you get the good ones, and cook with plenty of it.

Coq au Vin
This is a slimmed down version of the French Classic. Serve it over noodles or rice.
Serves 4

16 small pearl onions
2 ounces prosciutto, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), skinned but still on the bone
2 shallots or 1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup brandy, or more red wine
1 cup dry red wine
11/2 cups defatted chicken stock
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 bay leaves
16 small, whole Crimini or other small mushrooms
1 tablespoon arrowroot
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Put onions in a bowl with warm water for 20 minutes. Peel and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, cook prosciutto in a large, nonstick skillet over low heat until it becomes crisp. Remove to a Dutch oven or casserole with a cover.

3. Put oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Put flour in a pie plate with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Coat breasts with flour mixture and shake off excess. Add chicken to skillet and brown well, about 5 minutes on each side. Do not crowd pan.

4. Add shallots and garlic to chicken and cook, stirring until both begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add brandy and carefully ignite with a match. When flames die down, pour the contents of the skillet into the casserole with prosciutto. Add red wine, stock, and paste to the skillet. Bring to a boil and stir with wooden spoon, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan.

5. Add wine mixture to chicken along with thyme, bay leaves, mushrooms, and pearl onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cover. Simmer 30 minutes or until chicken and onions are tender. Remove chicken to a platter.
6. Mix arrowroot with 1 cup of the liquid in the pot and return it to the pot. Stir well and reduce liquid to thicken. Taste for seasonings and remove bay leaves. Pour sauce over chicken and noodles or rice. Sprinkle with parsley.

Cooking Tip
Flaming dishes isn't as dangerous as it may seem, but you need to take some precautions. Don't wear loose clothing; keep your hair pulled back. Pour the brandy from a cup or ladle and not from the bottle. Use long-stemmed matches if you have them. Have a cover close by to dampen flames if they get out of hand.