Coq Au Vin
Posted on October 26, 2007
1 bottle red wine (burgundy strongly suggested)
3-5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
8 whole peppercorns
3-5 sprigs parsley
1 medium chicken, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces bacon, cut into strips
2 large onions, chopped roughly
1 tablespoon tomato paste
plain flour
1 1/2 fluid ounces brandy
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 ounces button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
20 small white pearl onions
2 ounces butter
2 teaspoons sugar
beurre manie
1 teaspoon plain flour, mixed with
1 teaspoon butter, to make a paste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Note: There are many variants on the coq au vin (chicken with wine) recipe. The tradition is to use a rooster or free-range hen and to take a day or two to marinade. Then there is the “moderm” way to make this that involves tossing it in a frying pan and it’s done in 20 minutes. While the traditional seems excessive, the quickie method totally lacks the rich taste this French country cusine deserves. The recipe presented here hits towards a middle ground.
Bring the red wine to the boil with the sprigs of thyme, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns, then leave to cool for 1 hour; pour the wine over the chicken pieces and marinate for 12 hours.
Fry the bacon in a frying pan, remove with a slotted spoon; add the oil to the pan and fry the onions until softened; remove to casserole dish.
Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Dust the chicken pieces with a little flour, then put them in the frying pan and brown them lightly; pour in the warmed brandy and flambé it (or cook off alcohol); transfer the chicken pieces and liquid to the casserole and add the bacon, strained marinade (with tomato paste stirred in), garlic and mushrooms; cover and cook in a preheated oven at 300F for about 1 hour.
In the meantime, fry the small onions in butter with the sugar and a little water until glazed; add to the casserole and cook for a further 30 minutes; if the sauce needs thickening, stir in a few small knobs of beurre manié.
Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the chopped parsley over before serving. Makes 4-6 servings.