Coq au Vin
Coq au Vin is incredibly easy to make, and just as rewarding. Although it is true what they say, that it must be done with a wine that you would agree to drink. This is a fact and many a decent chicken stews have been ruined by cooks ignoring this simple rule.
There are several other complications that the traditional cuisine demands, such as flaming the chicken with brandy, or making a roux, but they are in no sense obligations. So bare with me while we put on our cooking hat on and make this wonderful stew!
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 1 750cl bottle of red wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbs butter
- 2 tbs brandy or cognac
- 200gr bacon, in cubes
- 8 to 12 pearl onions or shallots
- 3 carrots, cut into half slices
- 500gr mushrooms, sliced in quarters
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 bouquet garni (rosemary, bay leaf, thyme and parsley tied in a bundle)
- 1 cup flour
Preparation
Prepare the chicken by rubbing salt into the pieces, then in a large bowl add the chicken, and the bouquet garni and cover it with wine, let it sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Next peel the onions and cut them as thick as possible, with pearl onions you can peel it and throw the whole onion in. With shallots try cutting them in half. Set them aside.
Then, cut the carrots and the mushrooms up and put them aside as well.
Take the chicken out of the fridge and set your stew pot over a high flame. Add the butter and wait until it is hot, then add the chicken and sear it until the skin has browned, methodically go, piece by piece until this is done. Then add the onions and brown them a little as well. Add more butter if needed and also put the mushrooms through the pot, taking them out when they shrink.
When you have browned all of the above add the marinade and any leftover wine to the pot. Add the chicken stock and chicken, and also the onions. Add the brandy or cognac and let it boil for 45 to 60 minutes until it turns brown instead of purple.
Taste the stew a bit and adjust the salt and pepper as needed, it should taste a bit too sour, but this is fine because it will round off with the thickening step.
Next add the carrots and the mushrooms, and wait another 15 minutes until the carrots are done.
Turn the heat to low and with a ladle take out at least 3 cups of liquid from the stew, put it in a large bowl and slowly, while mixing, add the flour. Make sure it mixes perfectly or you will end up with dumplings in your stew. Add the thickened mix back into the stew and stir it well.
Bring it to a soft boil and wait ten more minutes while the flour cooks and the stew thickens.
When ready serve on top of rice, pasta, or a thick slice of fried bread.
This stew will feed 6 stew lovers.