@whenryancooks Night one of the challenge pushed the limits of my budget – and I could have easily gone over – but it’s easy to find ways to economize with this particular dish, plus this recipe actually made enough for FOUR servings. This means the total cost per serving was only $3.66!
The Receipt
| Chicken Leg Quarters | $1.69 |
| Slab Bacon | $4.34 |
| Leeks | $1.29 |
| Carrots | $1.00 |
| Shallots | $2.75 |
| Wine | $3.49 |
| Fresh Rosemary | From Garden |
| Fresh Thyme | From Garden |
| Salt, Pepper, Bay Leaves | Pantry |
Total: $14.56
To start, I did most of my shopping at our local international markets as I find the produce tends to be a fraction of the cost of chain markets and they often run some incredible specials in their meat department. On this trip, the chicken leg quarters I needed were under $0.60 p/lbs and carrots were two large bags for $1.00 (which means carrots will be featured later in the week).
Wine and bacon were my biggest concerns. For the bacon, I was lucky to find a small slab portion for just over $4.00, however my fall back was going to be to buy a handful of sliced bacon from the meat counter which actually might have saved me a buck or two. The wine was a little more difficult as most bottles were starting at $8 and up. With a little searching, I was able to find a ghastly undrinkable bottle of red for $3.49. The fortunate thing here, though, is that the wine doesn’t have to be drinkable since you will be reducing it down to it’s sugars and blending it with the savory flavors of your proteins and herbs. Save the good stuff for the glass!
To round out the ingredients, I try to always keep fresh herbs on hand – growing both in my garden outdoors, but also in a small hydroponic farm in my kitchen. You’ll be surprised at how much time and money this can save you over the course of a year. Plus, I’ll fight anyone who claims that their rosemary is more flavorful and pungent than mine!
Similarly, if you plan to do any amount of cooking, having a well stocked pantry is key… but it doesn’t have to be something you do all at once. Generally I’ve found that the more you cook, the more you’ll find you simply have many of the staple ingredients on hand. PRO TIP: Buy your spices from your international market or from the international section of your local chain market. The price difference between the spice aisle and the international aisle is criminal.
With all the ingredients in hand, the cook on this dish is super easy – Fry the bacon. Brown the chicken in the bacon grease. Brown the veggies in the bacon/chicken grease. Add it all back to the pot and add the wine.
It’s really that simple.
And the result is a hearty, flavorful stew that will become your go-to dish on cold fall nights!
Click here to find my recipe for Coq au Vin
