Coq au Vin Recipe

"Coq au vin is a traditional French chicken dish cooked with wine, it's French comfort food at its finest, With the addition of duck bacon, this recipe goes from delicious to extraordinary and the end result is a meal you will be proud to serve to guests. It does take some time to make this but it’s very worth it. Duck bacon is made exclusively with boneless duck breast meat, it has a wonderful flavor and it's has 60% less fat than traditional pork bacon, you can get it at a high end specialty store or on line. Serve this dish with a crusty baguette. Enjoy!"

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Step 2

Season chicken on all sides with salt and pepper.

Step 3

In a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat some olive oil over medium high heat. Brown chicken on all sides (take your time, and lower the heat if necessary, to make sure the chicken doesn't burn). Once the chicken is brown, remove and set aside.

Step 4

Add the duck bacon. Fry until browned. Add onions, celery, carrots and leek. Brown lightly.

Step 5

Deglaze pan with the wine. Add the thyme and parsley. Bring mixture to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 6

Return browned chicken to the pot. Add the stock and tomato paste. If the stock doesn't bring the level of liquid to just below the top of the chicken, then add a little water. Bring the whole pot to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 7

Place a parchment paper round onto the surface of the stew then put the lid on and put the whole pot into the preheated oven.

Step 8

Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and discard parchment paper. Turn chicken over and add mushrooms and pearl onions. Cover and return to oven for 45 minutes.

Step 9

Carefully take the pot out of the oven. Ladle a few cups of the cooking stock into a saucepan, and reduce the sauce to your desired thickness over high heat. Taste and season appropriately. If it reduces too much just add a little cooking liquid the pan.