Open mic at the Horny Toad in Cave Creek

The fun starts at 1:00 and we keep going till 5:00.  It's a great afternoon of local talent, good food, cold drinks and toe tapping!  Cone on out!

Sonoran Grilled Chicken Coq Au Vin

Sonoran Grilled Chicken Coq Au Vin
From my Emmy Award winning TV show, ABC 15's The Sonoran Grill

Coq Au Vin (cooked with wine) is basically the French version of meat-and-potatoes cooking. Our recipe tells you how to grill the veggies, make the wine sauce and roux, and put them all together for a wonderful flavor that looks great on any plate. It's just like Mom used to make -- if Mom ate snails and spoke with an accent!

1 Large free-range chicken

8 OZ Pearl onions

1/2 LB Hardwood-smoked bacon

1/2 White onion, diced

3 Shallots, diced

3 CLOVES Garlic, minced

4 Large carrots, sliced thin

1 Ground chipotle chile

1-1/2 TSP Kosher salt

1 TSP Fresh-ground black pepper

1/2 C Cognac

1/4 C Italian parsley, chopped fine

4 Cloves

1 Bay leaf

1 TSP Herbs de Provence

3-1/2 C Pinot Noir wine

6 TBL Sweet butter

1-1/2 TSP Dark brown sugar

1/2 C Chicken broth

1 LB Small Italian brown mushrooms

2 TBL All-purpose flour

2 Roasted poblano chiles, peeled, seeded and diced

  Garnish

1/2 BUNCH Italian parsley, chopped fine

1. Cut the chicken into legs, thighs, wings, and breasts; then cut the breasts in half, rendering 10 pieces of chicken. Save the giblets.

2. Grill the chicken over medium-high heat until browned, but not cooked all the way through.

3. Meanwhile, drop the pearl onions in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove from water; when cool, remove peel and set aside.

4. In a large Dutch oven, fry the bacon until crisp. Set aside, allow to cool, then crumble. Remove all but 3TBL of drippings.

5. Sauté the giblets, diced white onion, shallots, garlic, 1/2 of the carrots, chipotle powder, salt, and pepper over medium heat until onions are soft and browned, about 8 minutes.

6. Spoon off any excess fat. Add grilled chicken and gently pour the cognac, taking care to coat all pieces of chicken. Carefully light the cognac with a match.

7. Allow flames to die down. Add parsley, cloves, bay leaf, herbs de Provence, and wine. Bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is fully cooked. While chicken is simmering, put 2TBL of butter in a sauté pan. Add the pearl onions, remaining carrots, brown sugar, and chicken broth. Simmer until onions and carrots are tender, chicken broth has mostly evaporated, and vegetables are glazed -- about twenty minutes.

8. In a separate pan, sauté mushrooms in 2TBL of butter until brown.

9. When chicken is fully cooked, remove it, but not giblets, from the sauce. Set aside and cover with foil to keep warm.

10. Pour sauce through a strainer, discard solids, and set sauce aside.

11. In the Dutch oven fry the flour in 2TBL of butter until medium brown (called roux), whisking constantly. Degrease the wine sauce and slowly add to the Dutch oven while whisking. If sauce needs thickening, simmer until reduced.

12. Add the bacon, glazed vegetables, roasted poblanos, and mushrooms to the sauce; stir well, then add grilled chicken. Allow to simmer for 5 more minutes for flavors to blend.

13. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsley.

Spicy Collard Greens

Spicy Collard Greens

Years ago my dad took me to Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe, a Mecca for ‘Soul Food’ in Phoenix.  On each table was a little bottle of Trappy’s brand Tabasco chiles.  The bottles were so old that the labels were half worn off, and the chiles inside the bottles were no longer yellow.  They were almost white as if they had been on the tables for years.  I asked my dad about this. He explained the peppers weren’t for eating; that every night the owner would fill these bottles back up with white vinegar.  And everyday his customers come in and drizzle the spicy vinegar over the greens.

I quote the movie ‘Giant’, starring Liz Taylor and Rock Hudson.  Hudson’s character 'Bick' Benedict Jr. when explaining why he is attracted to the independent and aggressive ‘Leslie,’ played by Taylor, says, “Down here we like a little vinegar on our greens!”

Greens are delicious, but add a little pepper vinegar and they come alive with a flavor.

Notice that this is called "Pepper Sauce,"not Tabasco Peppers! Clues… always look for clues to the good life, they're everywhere.

2 Tbl. Olive oil

½ white onion, chopped fine

2 cloves garlic

1/2 pound smoked ham hocks 
2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Crushed red chile

1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 Tbl. hot red pepper sauce 
1 large bunch collard greens 
1 Tbl. butter

In a large stockpot, sauté the onion and garlic, in the oil, until soft but not browned.  Add 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil.  Add ham hocks, spices, and hot sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Wash the collard greens thoroughly. Remove the stems from the center of the larger leaves. The stems of the smaller leaves are tender and don’t need to be removed.  Tear the greens into ½-inch thick strips. Place greens in the stockpot with the ham hock and add the butter. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Check to make sure the greens are tender, adjust seasoning and serve with a slotted spoon and don’t forget the white vinegar. 

Serves 4-6