Maybe we'd all be less afraid to cook so-called "fancy food" if bouillabaisse were called fish stew and osso buco were simply veal shanks. The truth is, many dishes we think of as all-day, slave-over-the-stove affairs (the stuff of Grandma's Sunday dinners and Julia Child cookbooks) are not that hard—or even that haute. The recipes here are about demystifying classic dishes, so you can identify the steps that aren't 100 percent necessary on those evenings when you'd rather read In the Night Kitchen than spend the whole night in the kitchen. You'll see that the old-fashioned recipes you crave usually start with a good pot, a sharp knife, and the pluck to overcome whatever phobia you had about making them in the first place. Trust us, the family will be glad you did.

Quick Coq au Vin

Julia Child's world-famous coq au vin recipe calls for the dramatic lighting of cognac. Traditional ones simply call for chicken, the contents of your crisper, and drinkable wine.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 or 3 thick slices bacon, roughly chopped
• 1 4-pound chicken, cut into six pieces
• 1 handful flour, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
• 8 to 10 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, rinsed and halved (optional)
• 20 whole baby carrots, cut in half
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 large sweet onions, chopped, or 2 cups pearl onions
• 1 bottle red wine (white works, too)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs thyme

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Transfer to a large plate.
2. Shake the chicken pieces with the seasoned flour in a paper or plastic bag.
3. Brown the chicken in the pot, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate with the bacon.
4. Sauté the mushrooms (if using), carrots, garlic, and onions in the pot until they just begin to brown, 5 minutes.
5. Pour half the wine into the pan and cook over high heat for about 8 minutes.
6. Add the broth and the remaining wine. Bring to a boil and add the chicken, bacon, and herbs.
7. Return to a boil, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and thyme and serve.

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