Cooking Creations: Coq a Riesling... and Cranberries and Squash!

“What do you want to do for fun while you’re here?,” my Mom asked me from across the breakfast table. I had just arrived in New Hampshire to visit my parents for the weekend: a much needed respite after an intense stretch at work and the daily grind.

“I just want to cook,” I replied. “I just want to go into the kitchen by myself for hours and slice and dice.”

“Ok….” She looked perplexed, but I could tell she was trying to be accepting in her motherly way. That afternoon I did exactly that. I meticulously selected one of the recipes I’d saved for when I had time to cook for myself. I wanted the perfect, seasonal dish for my first foray back to cooking. I chose “Coq Au Riesling,” a recipe from the October issue of Food & Wine. Normally I would shy away from chicken and opt for something slightly more ambitious. However, I found the addition of the Riesling intriguing in this case. I love cooking with wine and Reisling’s hints of apple and citrus epitomize an autumnal beverage.

The original recipe called for the quintessential vegetable trio: carrots, celery, and onions. Those certainly impart flavor to meat upon simmering and I use them often. At the same time, I wanted to capitalize on fall produce. Autumn’s harvest bounty makes it my favorite time of year for cooking. I decided to add kabocha squash to the mix. This variety is sweeter than acorn or butternut squash. Sometimes called “buttercup,” it is sweet enough to be used as a substitute for sugar pumpkins in pie.

In another moment of inspiration, I got the idea to toss in cranberries. I recalled another recipe I had retrieved from Food & Wine years ago for Brussels Sprouts. They published it for Thanksgiving and now I make it every year; it’s a family Thanksgiving favorite. It starts with cranberries steeped in Riesling. Then they are added to Brussels sprouts. The wine cuts the tartness of the berries. At the same time, the remaining touch of sourness goes well with the earthy vegetables. I figured that adding cranberries to this dish would serve a similar purpose.

I used chicken thighs instead of the “split chicken legs.” I think chicken thighs are underappreciated when it comes to poultry. The dark meat gives them a bad reputation, but in actuality they are very close to chicken breasts in terms of calories and overall nutrition (skinless and trimmed). They are also extremely affordable- way more economic than breasts or cutlets.

Basically, my revised preparation and play on the recipe went as follows below. Overall, I omitted the mushrooms entirely, going with squash and cranberries instead. I also left out the creamy components of the sauce. As the squash breaks down, it imparts a creamy texture without using any dairy.

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole coated with cooking spray, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil. Add half of the chicken and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until browned, 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining chicken, then pour off the fat and wipe out the casserole.
2. Respray the dish with cooking spray. Add the squash and sauté until just starting to get tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the onion, carrot, celery and shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits from the pot. Add the chicken stock and thyme and bring to a boil.
4. Nestle the chicken in the casserole; cover and braise in the oven for 40 minutes-1 hour, checking its progress. About 5 minutes before it seems done, add the cranberries and return the dish to the oven.
5. Garnish with tarragon and serve.

It turned out delicious! I am critical of my own recipes, but to me this marks one of the best family dinners I’ve prepared.

Leftover bonus: The vegetable part of this (all but the chicken pieces) goes great with eggs! I used them to make a “frittata” of sorts with the squash serving in lieu of potato. I broke an egg into a skillet with cooking spray, let it settle for about a minute, and layered the mixture over it. You can also fold it to make it more of an omelette.

Baro: Raising the "Bar, O!" So Much Higher in Fairfield County

I had never heard of Baro prior to the Community Plates Fundraiser that I covered for CTBites. Although the venue was studded with the who’s who of local restaurants, Baro blew guests away with an ambitious choice: oxtail! After that evening, I knew that I had to try the restaurant itself. It is located on the Post Road in Fairfield, which is an area I frequent and that is easily accessible. An encounter was destined.

Baro markets itself as “a new world cantina”- a phrase that mixes modernity with the old world. As I result, I did not know what to expect of the space itself. The first thing we came upon was a separate outdoor dining area that reminded me a bit of a safari outpost. Wooden supports lined it and gave it the feel of being enclosed. The restaurant itself maintained a touch of that desert rusticity via a large mural of a latin-esque landscape with pastel colored buildings. At the same time, the interior introduced a more upscale lounge vibe. Yellow lights hung from the ceilings casting a sexy glow over the diners and illuminating a sleek bar. The dark furniture had clean modern lines. Guests could sit in regular tables or high-tops in one section of the dining room. Baro also gives diners the chance to sit on stools at a counter overlooking the grill where the cooks prepare the food. We chose the latter. All that separated us from the fire, spice, and aromas was a thin sheet of glass.

Baro’s selection of wines by the glass impressed me immediately. Some new restaurants will stick to vino that they know will please the masses. Baro had traditional crowd pleasers, but also had more esoteric types on the list. For whites, those wanting a familiar varietal could choose from Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. A more adventurous drinker, on the other hand, might opt for Portuguese Vinho Verde, a Verdejo from Rueda, or the Garnacha Blanco. I contently sipped the Verdejo, which proved deliciously herbaceous with a touch of minerality and green fruit. The reds by the glass contained many Spanish wines, including 2 Tempranillos. I was especially intrigued by the Cellers Can Blau “Can Blau” Rhone Blend from Montsant, Spain. I associate that type of blend with France and loved seeing one that heralded from Spain instead.

Baro devotes an entire menu section to “antichuros” or “skewers.” These grilled-to-order kebobs have become a signature of the restaurant. I love eating adventurously and the antichuros provide numerous opportunities for this from the “corazon,” beef hearts, to the “higado,” or chicken liver. We ordered the “corazon” along with the “pulpo” (octopus.)

The beef hearts arrived cooked to perfection. They were a beautiful medium-rare and each bite felt juicy and tender. I enjoyed the crispy shallots on top as well; they provided a slight crispiness to the dish to compliment the soft meat. The only critique I have deals with the sauce. The “rocota salsa” turned out to taste akin to cocktail sauce. While good, I would have preferred something more spicy, ethnic, and unexpected.

The pulpo… wasn’t pulpo. As we split the plate, we slowly realized that the meat was not octopus. There was no chorizo or chimichurri either. I returned to the menu and suspect that they gave us the “pollo” instead which is jerk chicken, pineapple salsa, and scotch bonnet ketchup. I did enjoy the sauce that it came with. This condiment had the latin flavors that the first lacked. It also had a twist: it started out deceptively sweet and then packed a punch of pepper at the end. On the other hand, I am disappointed that I did not get to try the octopus and chorizo. The chicken was fine, but at the end of the day I feel like I can get a chicken skewer with some type of diced fruit salsa at any grill.

Baro offers 2 types of guacamole: traditional and “verano.” The verano caught my eye because it was untraditional; it included mango, peach, habanero, and pomegranate. I enjoyed it a great deal. The pieces of fruit were refreshing. They complimented the smooth avocado, but also eased the bite from the peppers. The pomegranate seeds added a few crunches of texture. The best part, though, were the “chips” that the guacamole came with. Rather than use tortilla chips like so many restaurants, Baro served crispy plantain skins. They were thin, crunchy, and subtly sweet.

(Admittedly, Baro did attempt to deliver the traditional version of their guacamole to our table. Fortunately, we caught it before digging in and they replaced it. Despite the mix-ups- and the fact that I still want to try that octopus - I definitely recommend it. Just make sure you ensure your order is yours as it comes to the table!)

After splitting the antichuros and guacamole, we each ordered a taco. The server informed us that they were a small portion, amounting to about three bites. Had we not ordered the other small plates, we may have considered getting at least two apiece. I found my single petite taco hearty, flavorful, and perfectly sating when combined with the rest of the meal. I selected the “carnitas,” a combination of roasted pork shoulder, white onion, cilantro, and hot sauce. The meat was succulent. The heat from the hot sauce, bite of the onion, and zest from the cilantro played off of each other in my mouth. The tortilla alone was a prize. Although technically a soft taco, it was slightly more crispy and flour-y than the oft used commercialized versions. (Perhaps it was stone ground? It had a very homemade texture and taste.)

Despite the preceding assortment of food, I nodded enthusiastically when the waitress offered us a dessert menu. I was not surprised to see churros available. However, I enjoyed the liberties they took with the rest of the offerings; they transcended the usual Spanish/Latin staples. The very first item was a sponge cake. Pineapple and rum gave it a tropical cantina flair, but cakes don’t always make the cut in other restaurants with similar cuisine. Another example was their version of flan. While flan is commonplace in a “cantina,” Baro upped the ante by offering a chocolate flan. We decided to split that (though- confession- I pretty much wound up hording it for myself because it was delicious!) They used the perfect amount of chocolate: enough to impart flavor, but not enough to make it overly rich or heavy. The disc of flan itself tasted wonderful on its own, but all of the elements on the plate made a perfect bite when combined. The caramel sauce, lightly whipped cream, and mint leaves provided the final flourish.

Both my friend and I remarked on how well Baro handled the pacing with which they presented the food. As you can see, we ordered a handful of small plates. We did not allocate courses or specify when we wanted them to come out. Baro did it expertly and easily. The guacamole came out first. About halfway through eating that, the antichuros came out. The tacos were brought out once the antichuros were done. It was seamless and enjoyable. We never felt overwhelmed- there was never too much food in front of us all at once. At the same time, we never felt like we were waiting for the next plate. Working with small plates can be challenging for even the most experienced restaurateurs. It was remarkable how adroitly the relatively new eatery navigated it.

I definitely consider Baro a new personal favorite. In some ways it is still new and finding itself, but the potential is enormous. I believe that it will be one of Fairfield County’s eponymous, destination eateries in the months to come.

Baro
1229 Post Road
Fairfield, CT
(203) 292-9560
http://baroct.com/

Pictures courtesy of Baro's Facebook page. Visit them:
https://www.facebook.com/BaroCT1