Serves 4
Prep time 45 minutes/ Cooking time 30 minutes
While Coq au Vin (or chicken in wine) might sound fancy, it is really just a simple French chicken stew that anyone can master. Don’t be intimidated; this recipe is very easy to follow.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken cut up in 10 pieces
3/4 bottle red wine
1 cup chicken stock
Optional: 1/4 cup brandy
3 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, quartered then thinly sliced
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 celery stick, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
10 button mushrooms, thickly sliced
10 pearl onions, peeled
Beurre manie (2 tablespoons flour + 2 tablespoons softened butter)
Method
Place the chicken in a bowl and pour the wine, chicken stock, and (if using) the brandy over the top. Prep the vegetables.
Add the bacon to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the bacon is crispy for about 8 minutes, and then remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon.
Remove the chicken from the wine marinade (save the wine) and dry the chicken with paper towels. Working in 2 batches if needed, place the chicken in the pan, skin side down. Sear until it is golden on both sides (about 5 minutes each side) then remove the chicken from the pan. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon/chicken oil into a heatproof dish and set it aside.
Add the sliced onion, celery and carrots to the pan and let them cook until the onion is golden brown, for about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and let it cook for 1 minute.
Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste until it is fragrant and begins to darken. Pour the reserved wine marinade into the pan, scraping the bottom to remove any stuck-on bits.
Nestle the chicken into the pan and sprinkle the thyme over top. Cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Pour 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil (or use olive oil) into a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and sauté over medium-high heat until brown, for about 10 minutes.
Add the pearl onions to the pot with the chicken and cook for 10 minutes more.
In a small bowl mix together the beurre manie. Remove the chicken from the pan then add the beurre manie. Stir it into the sauce and let it thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken back into the pan and top with the cooked bacon and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little fresh thyme.
