Alsace Farmhouse Chicken with Spaetzle

6 lbs. Chicken (whole cut up, legs and thighs, etc.  I don't recommend chicken breasts)
Salt and Pepper
4 T. Olive Oil
12 T. Butter
1 bulb garlic, minced
2 medium onions, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 C. White Wine Vinegar (Martin Pouret)
2 C. White Wine, I used Riesling
2 T. Honey
1 8 oz. jar peach jam
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. tomato paste
2 C. Chicken Stock
Parsley

Spaetzle

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange chicken pieces in a large baking pan.  Season with salt and pepper and bake for about 20 mins.  This is to get the outside brown and crispy.  Remove from oven and set aside.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Melt Olive Oil and 4 T. Butter in a large stock pot.  Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic, salt and pepper and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook 2 mins.  Next add the vinegar, wine, honey, mustard and peach jam.  Let this reduce by half.  Taste to make sure all is in balance.  If too vinegary, add more honey.  If too sweet, add more vinegar.

Next, pour the vinegar and wine mixture into the roasting pan with the chicken.  Place in oven and roast for about 45 minutes, or until the juices run clear from the chicken.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Cook spaetzle according to package instructions.

To serve, arrange the spaetzle on the bottom of the plate.  Place chicken piece or pieces on top of spaetzle.  Ladle the sauce over top, making sure that the spaetzle get plenty.  Sprinkle parley on top.

Wine Pairings:

Hugel Gentil
Hugel Pinot Gris
J. Lohr Bay Mist Riesling

Mexican Veggie Soup with Duck

1 Maple Leaf Farm Rotissierie Half Duck
1 Quart Water
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 celery, diced
1 Jalapeno, diced (with seeds or without, depending on taste)
1 Tbs. Salish Potlash Seasoning
1 tsp. Bacon Freak Bacon Hot Sauce
1/4 C. White Wine
2 C. Chicken Stock
10 Tomatillos, pureed
2 C.  Main Street Produce Canned Tomatoes
1 container Main Street Produce Frozen Butterbeans
1 container Main Street Produce Frozen Corn

In a soup pan, bring the quart of water to a boil and add the duck.  Boil for 10 minutes and turn off the heat.  Set aside.

In a different soup pan on medium heat, add the olive oil first and wait 1 minute.  Next add the onion, carrot, celery and diced jalapeno and stir a couple times.  Add the Potlash Seasoning and the Bacon Freak Hot Sauce and continue stirring until the veggies are tender (about 5 minutes).

Next add the wine and de-glaze the pan, add the chicken stock and pureed tomotillos and stir.

Next, strain the water from the pan with the duck and add the water to the soup.  Follow this with the canned tomatoes, butterbeans and corn..

Remove the meat from the duck, and chop into small pieces.  Add that to the pot.

Let simmer for about 2 hours, serve with more diced jalabenos or even a dollop of sour cream.

Wine Pairings:  There are no hard set rules on this, but here are my choices.

Hecht & Bannier Rose

Lapierre Raisins Gaulos Beaujolais
Venta Morales Tempranillo

Wrongo Dongo Monastrel.

Beer Pairings:

Victory Helios
Bell's Oberon