Coq au Vin – Who can resist chicken cooked in wine?

Coq au Vin is a traditional French dish of chicken cooked in wine. This recipe is simple and elevates ordinary chicken to a whole different level.

Ingredients

4 pounds of chicken cut in pieces
3 tab olive oil
½ – 1 pound pearl onions (look for these in the freezer section as they will already be peeled)
2 tab flour
1 tab butter
8-16oz sliced or quartered white mushrooms (do not slice unless the mushrooms are of the large variety)
3 cups white wine (dry is better)
1 cup chicken broth
Bouqet garni (**see below)
Salt and pepper

Directions

Skin the chicken, pat dry and season. Heat ½ the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 10-12 minutes. Watch carefully as it will tend to stick because of the lack of skin.

Transfer chicken to a plate. Using a dutch oven or other large flameproof casserole, heat the remaining oil over medium low heat and cook onions until evenly browned. Stir frequently but keep covered.

Meanwhile, in the frying pan used for the chicken, melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms until light brown.

Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook another 2-3 minutes. Deglaze pan with the wine and add the mushrooms, chicken, chicken broth (only enough to be sure the chicken is covered) and bouquet garni bundle. Bring to a boil then cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about an hour or til chicken is tender.

[Crock Pot/Slow Cooker Method: At this point you could  transfer the contents to a crockpot and cook on high 2-3 hours or on low 4-6 hours. Continue with the recipe as follows below.]

Separate the chicken and veggies from the broth, put in a warmed dish and cover. Skim any fat from the liquid and bring to a boil. Cook until the broth is reduced by 1/3. Return the chicken and veggies to the sauce and heat until all the temperatures are even – about 5 minutes.

 

Bouquet Garnis

** You can buy pre-tied bouquet garnis in the spice section of your grocer or make your own by tying together, with a cotton string, the following:

1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
4 large sprigs parsley
2 rosemary stems about 4-5 inches long
4 large basil leaves
4 inch piece celery stalk, preferably with the leaves

Bon Appetit! Enjoy your coq au vin!

If you prefer beef to chicken then try beef burgundy – yum!