12352 Ragout of Chicken Wings in the Style of the Béarn Serves 4 to 5 Wed Aug 06 01:04:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 01 14:21:24 -0700 2009 French Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12352 Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:21:24 GMT This dish, sometimes called alicuit or alycou (aile for wing; cou for neck), is made all over Southwest France. This particular recipe, from the town of Pau in the Béarn, is interesting because it uses cinnamon, an uncommon spice in French cooking. Here the cinnamon has a moderating influence on the garlic and onion in the sauce.

Although my version uses only chicken wings, it is more typical to include necks and gizzards as well. This dish is excellent with fresh noodles. The ragout can be made in advance and reheated.

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  • Pat the wings dry with paper towels. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Heat the rendered fat in a 4-quart flameproof casserole or Dutch oven over moderately high heat. Add the chicken wings and cook, turning, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the onions and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate, add the cubed ham, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing lightly. Remove excess fat by tilting the pan and pressing on the wings and onions with the back of a slotted spoon. Blot with paper towels. Add the stock to the casserole and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 5 minutes, skimming the foam from the surface. Stir in the tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon stick. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
  • Add the scallions and carrots to the casserole. Simmer very gently for 1 hour longer.
  • Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken wings, scallions, and carrots from the saucepan. Arrange in a shallow serving dish. Cover to keep warm. Bring the sauce in the casserole to a boil over high heat and boil until reduced to 1½ cups, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning; the sauce should be peppery but still tempered by sweet spices. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Pour the sauce over the wings and garnish with the parsley.
  • Use 6 chicken wings plus 3 necks and 3 gizzards instead of 12 wings. Slip off the neck skin and discard. Cut each neck into 3 or 4 pieces. Clean the gizzard. Using a thin-bladed knife, cut away and discard the hard yellow peel as well as the white membrane. Discard any yellow-green parts. Toss wings, necks, and gizzards with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
  • Substitute duck wings for the chicken wings.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main 127 12 chicken wings, tips removed at second joint and reserved for stock

    ]]>     305 Salt and freshly ground pepper

    ]]>     128 ⅓ cup rendered chicken or duck fat

    ]]>     54 1 cup coarsely chopped onions

    ]]>     459 1½ ounces jambon de Bayonne, prosciutto, or Serrano ham, cubed

    ]]>     1½ cups unsalted chicken stock (storebought or homemade—page 405) or

    ]]>     128 Dark, Rich Duck Stock (page 407)]]> 109 ¾ cup peeled, seeded, and cubed fresh tomatoes (about 1 large tomato) or drained canned Italian tomatoes

    ]]>     74 2 large garlic cloves, halved

    ]]>     ¼ teaspoon ground piment d'Espelette or

    ]]>     ½ teaspoon crème or puree d'Espelette

    ]]>     281 Pinch of ground cloves

    ]]>     308 Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

    ]]>     279 1 cinnamon stick

    ]]>     54 2 bunches of scallions (white and about ¾ inch of green)

    ]]>     119 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

    ]]>     203 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

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