Playing the weather odds

It turned cold again here in Chicago, and while I am not against grilling in my winter coat, I prefer the indoors on days like today. I knew we would be in for this chill today, and so last night I decided to get some prep work done for tonight's meal. As I considered my options, I realized I would need wine, and lots of it.

On chilly nights, especially those around midweek, the crock pot (slow cooker, if you prefer) is a good thing to have around. It doesn't hurt to have a whole chicken in the fridge, either. When we shopped this past weekend, I hedged my bets. I figured we would either get a nice break from the cold, and I could then butcher and grill the bird, or it would stay lousy and I could just cut it in half and drop it in the crock.

We are fortunate to live near a "convenience" store, which around here often means a place that sells beer, wine, and booze, and might have some cat food or brownie mix if you are lucky. (We are lucky; our neighborhood shop has improved a great deal in the past couple of years, and honestly, they have a pretty decent wine selection). I was able to get a couple of bottles of pinot grigio on the (relative) cheap.

Some onion, basil (still had a little fresh left!), rosemary, carrots, salt, and pepper went in first, then the halved bird followed by the wine. Probably the hardest part of the prep work was clearing out the bottom shelf of the fridge to put the crock in for the night. I really wanted to get some tarragon in the mix, but we were out, unfortunately.

On my way home from work today, I stopped into the Spice House in Old Town and picked up that missing tarragon, and as an added bonus, found they had a nice supply of dried chanterelle mushrooms. Once home, I deboned the now-cooked chicken, returned the meat to the pot, and added the tarragon and (rehydrated) mushrooms to the broth that had been slowly cooking all day. What a treat it was to open that lid. Scientists claim that smell and memory are probably closely linked because of the proximity of our olfactory centers to the limbic system. I'm not sure I care much about the science of it, I am just grateful for moments when the smell of good food transports me to other good meals I've enjoyed in the past (and the memory of the good friends I shared them with).

To finish the sauce a bit more, I added a bit of milk and corn starch to get a bit of glisten, and was hoping for a smoother mouth-feel later on. I was not content, so I put a roux together and managed to get the sauce to my desired thickness. We at this over some egg noodles with a vegetable medley on the side. Full disclosure: on work nights, I sometimes get lazy, and am thankful for frozen veggies! Never (or at least rarely) as good as fresh, but so be it.

The verdict

The texture was spot-on. Exactly what I had wanted. A somewhat velvety sauce that stuck nicely on the noodles. The veggies were (predictably) unremarkable. But the taste was wonderful. The first bites were all about the wine. It dominated the initial flavor, and was just a bit sweet - in a good way. But once the mouthful was swallowed, the marriage of the wine and the herbs lingered. And lingered. And lingered. It was a dinner that was as much fun to eat as most wines are to drink.

Speaking of wine, I opted out on that front tonight. I wanted to really experience where this dish went on its own, and didn't want to complicate things with yet another flavor set. Tomorrow, when we enjoy the leftovers, I will reconsider that choice.