VEGETABLES AU VIN WITH COQ AND ROASTED GRAPES

It's week 8 of our Food Matters Project. Evi + Sam of Fifth Floor Kitchen chose the recipe this week. 

Vegetables au Vin with Coq.

While deciding if I should use thigh meat or breast meat I thought why not both? A small Cornish hen halved would accomplish that. 

I used shitake mushrooms for their meaty, chewy texture and a few brown mushrooms. While I was reading the ingredients I came to the wine. It called for a fruity red wine and it was at that moment that  I knew what I was going to do to make this recipe my own.

ROASTED GRAPES!!!

They were the star of the dish.

 I coated seedless red grapes with olive oil and roasted them at 375 for about 20 minutes, until they started to pucker and shrivel.

I stirred them in at the end just to warm them.

The roasted grapes added a depth of flavor that complimented the fruity Pinot Noir in the sauce. It was a flavor burst that was incredible.

I pretty much followed the original recipe here. I added a tablespoon of tomato paste for a little richer flavor and served the sauce over my Cornish hen.

This was a great recipe and the next day the sauce was even better. Tonight I'm serving the sauce over spaetzle.

Thanks Evi and Sam for a great pick.