on Dec 04, 2012, Updated Oct 25, 2021 42 Comments
Last week, we had the Stone side of our family over for supper to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday as well as for Little Buddy. (I know, his birthday has extended through the entire month of November. It is pretty ridiculous, but hey, you only have one a year.) In planning the menu for supper, I immediately thought of this Coq au Vin Blanc recipe. Really, nothing beats a warm, comforting homemade meal when you have guests and this recipe just couldn’t be any simpler. I knew we’d have somewhere between 21 and 28 people for supper and I wanted to be able to enjoy time with family rather than rushing around in the kitchen trying to get everything on the table at the same time. With this Coq au Vin Blanc recipe, I knew I could prepare the entree two days ahead of time and that it would be even better than if I’d made it the day of the party. The flavors just get richer and deeper making it a recipe I turn to time and again. Another great thing about this Coq au Vin Blanc recipe is that you don’t have to use the wine in the recipe if you prefer not to do so. As a matter of fact, I didn’t when I made it for our family birthday supper. I substituted additional chicken stock instead. We didn’t miss the wine and I didn’t have to worry about anyone not liking the flavor of wine in their meal. You know, some people love it and then there are folks that just can’t stand it. I always like to veer on the safe side when serving a crowd. I love to serve this dish over my roasted garlic mashed potatoes to amp up the total comfort meal impact with a fresh apple-pear pomegranate salad on the side to round out the flavors in the meal. It all just works perfectly together. Since the Coq au Vin Blanc is full of other vegetables, you really don’t have to have any other side dishes. Of course, you can always add another green vegetable like roasted asparagus or English peas. But if you are planning a menu for a large party, think of side dishes you can prepare ahead of time and have ready bake off in the oven right before guests arrive. It lowers the stress level of entertaining ten-fold, in my opinion. The background of my Coq au Vin Blanc recipe really goes back to Julia Child’s original Coq au Vin with a touch of Pam Anderson’s influence, and then rounded out with my own family’s preferences. The recipe is for between six to eight people. I quadrupled the recipe for our party without any issues – well, just one more pot to wash. It was well worth it! Here’s my recipe for Coq au Vin Blanc. I hope you enjoy it. Our Menu:Coq au Vin Blanc Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes Apple Pear Salad with Pomegranante Vinaigrette Wouldn’t this make a delicious meal for Christmas?Robyn xo
