Coq Au Vin
"This classic French country dish consists of chicken cooked slowly in red wine with onions, mushrooms,bacon, and herbs. When we were young, Mama used to make a similar dish in her slow cooker. Opening the front door on a cold night and welcomed by he inviting smells of stew from a slow cooker can be a dream come true. But winter is not the only time a slow cooker is useful. As it puts out no heat, it makes a cool substitute for a hot oven in summer, and it uses less electricity. For this dish, a slow cooker is fine, as is a Dutch oven set on the cooktop. If using a slow cooker, don't skip the step of browning the chicken, or you will have a flabby, tasteless mess. This is a LONG recipe, requiring many steps to increase its layers of flavor, which may seem daunting to some cooks, but it's not a difficult one. Consider making this dish ahead and refrigerate overnight so the flavors will marry and blend: simply reheat it the next day. Note: a wooden spoon is perfect for telling you when your sauce is finished. The sauce will coat the back of a spoon when it has reached the proper coating consistency ('napper' in French cooking). Adapted from Chef Virginia Willis' cookbook,"
Ingredients
Nutritional
- Serving Size: 1 (643.9 g)
- Calories 447.2
- Total Fat - 13.7 g
- Saturated Fat - 4.3 g
- Cholesterol - 23.2 mg
- Sodium - 632.5 mg
- Total Carbohydrate - 43.6 g
- Dietary Fiber - 6.8 g
- Sugars - 16.9 g
- Protein - 17.5 g
- Calcium - 118.2 mg
- Iron - 2.1 mg
- Vitamin C - 29.8 mg
- Thiamin - 0.5 mg
Step by Step Method
Step 1
Place the chicken pieces in a large non-reactive bowl.
Step 2
Add the onion, carrot, celery, crushed garlic, peppercorns, and wine.
Step 3
Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least several hours or overnight.
Step 4
Preheat oven 350º.
Step 5
Line a baking sheet and plate with paper towels.
Step 6
Transfer the chicken pieces from the marinade to the baking sheet, and pat them dry with additional paper towels.
Step 7
Strain and reserve the marinade liquid, reserving the vegetables separately.
Step 8
To prepare the chicken, heat a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Step 9
Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes.
Step 10
Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to the prepared plate.
Step 11
Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
Step 12
Decrease the heat to medium, and add all 1 tablespoon of the canola oil and heat until shimmering.
Step 13
Season the chicken with salt & pepper.
Step 14
Add the chicken pieces to the pan, skin side down, and cook over medium heat until a rich golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side.
Step 15
Remove the browned chicken to the baking sheet, set aside.
Step 16
Add the drained vegetables from the marinade to the pan, and cook until they start to color, 5-7 minutes.
Step 17
Add the chopped garlic and shallots and cook until fragrant, 45-60 seconds.
Step 18
Sprinkle on the flour and toss again to lightly coat.
Step 19
Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour turns brown, 2-3 minutes.
Step 20
Return the chicken to the Dutch oven.
Step 21
Add the reserved marinade liquid and enough stock so that the chicken is barely covered.
Step 22
Add the bouquet garni and bring to a boil over medium-high heat on top of the stove.
Step 23
Cover and transfer to the oven.
Step 24
Bake until the chicken pieces are tender and fall apart easily when pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to an hour.
Step 25
Or, to cook on top of the stove, bring to a boil, decrease the heat to very low and simmer until the chicken pieces are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 26
To cook vegetables, in a skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and butter over medium heat.
Step 27
Add the sprig of thyme, sprig of parsley, bay leaf, mushrooms, and pearl onions, and season with salt & pepper.
Step 28
Saute until lightly browned and tender, 5-7 minutes, set aside and keep warm.
Step 29
Add the reserved bacon and toss to combine.
Step 30
Remove and discard the sprigs of thyme & parsley, and bay leaf.
Step 31
To finish the sauce, once the chicken is tender and fully cooked, transfer the pan from the oven to the cooktop.
Step 32
Remove the chicken pieces to a bowl, cover and keep warm.
Step 33
Remove and discard the bouquet garni.
Step 34
In the Dutch oven, using an immersion blender, puree the sauce and vegetables until smooth.
Step 35
Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon; thin with more stock, if needed, to achieve this consistency.
Step 36
Taste an adjust for seasoning with salt & pepper.
Step 37
Lift the spoon out of the sauce and run your finger across the back of the pan; if the line holds, the sauce is done.
Step 38
Return the chicken to the sauce, and turn to coat
Step 39
Add the reserved mushrooms and pearl onions.
Step 40
Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until warm and the flavors marry and blend, 5-7 minutes.
Step 41
Taste and adjust for seasoning, and serve at once.
Tips
No special items needed.