Friday, 18 September 2026 14:35

Coq au Vin with creme fraiche and tarragon

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It's not patriotic to eat it, of course

because it's French

It is also not patriotic to intimidate and endanger the heroes who volunteer to risk their lives to save people at sea. 1.2% of the people they save are Asylum Seekers (a legal status; they are not “illegal” by the way. Anyone has the right to claim asylum however they arrive here, and we have the right to say no.) But if you are an ignorant bigot you can at least possibly think of the other 98.8% they save.

It is not patriotic to invade a town wearing black balaclavas to disrupt people’s lives and intimidate them into staying at work after their shifts finish; blocking roads; disrupting businesses while hiding your face. Protest is about standing up and being counted, not hiding behind a paramilitary version of a Burqa.

It is not patriotic to accept funding from foreign actors who are trying to disrupt our politics. Reform is not a political party it is a company controlled by Farage and funded by untraceable foreign-laundered money. They are the political wing of the international crypto-oligarchy.

It is not patriotic to eat French food.

Wait, what? Bugger!

It's never a good picture with creamy sauces, the lifeboat is better

This is essentially Coq au Vin, but with a few minor changes:

  • White wine instead of the classic red
  • Crème fraiche (I know, I couldn’t even use good old-fashioned British Cream).
  • Chopped fresh tarragon (how much more froggy-fied can you get?
It’s really lovely though

Method

Heat a heavy-based saucepan or casserole on a medium head and add the olive oil.

Dredge the chicken joints in the seasoned flour and brown them in batches putting the browned chicken in a bowl. When they’re all done deglaze the pan with a little of the wine and/or stock and pour the result into the bowl with the chicken.

Wipe the pan with kitchen paper if it needs it and add some more oil and the butter. When the butter foams add the onions and fennel seeds

Sweat the onions, celery and carrots with a bit of salt and pepper and then add the garlic and cook gently for a minute or so.

Add the wine and stock and bring to a simmer for a few minutes before turning it down to a gentle simmer and adding the chicken pieces and the liquid you got when you deglazed the pan. Throw in the bay leaves, put a lid on and cook gently for an hour at least. (We went to the pub so it was a bit longer than that.)

Before serving stir in the tarragon and crème fraiche and cook for another five minutes

That’s it

Read 334 times Last modified on Saturday, 19 September 2026 09:06
Spanish

Spanish has three nationalities: British, Irish and Australian due to a series of accidents. Spanish is not one of them,

Mark was born in Australia in 1966 and has lived on a damp, cold island off the coast of France (the locals call it "Blighty") since 1970. Educated in the State School System (proudly), his teachers unanimously agreed he had raised indolence and mediocrity to world-class levels.

In sport, he excelled at outrunning the bigger kids to avoid a regular hiding. These traits have seen him through several aimless career changes and now, in his 50s, he finds himself wondering what he will do when he grows up.

But, he loves his family and he can cook a bit.

Follow him at Substack

https://markhbradford.substack.com/
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