Coq au Vin
Julia child’s cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” certainly launched this dish outside of France. Twice she featured Coq au Vin on her TV show. Even though there are several steps to Coq au Vin, it actually comes together quit quickly.
Coq au Vin
This adapted version warms up a chilly evening and can be pretty much prepared before company arrives. Prepare the pearl onions and sautéed mushrooms while the chicken is cooking. I prefer to bake the chicken so that it gives me a bit of time to do other things. Cook on the stove top if you prefer for about 30 minutes or in the oven for an hour. Serve with Elsie’s Mashed Potatoes or Buttered Egg Noodles and a green salad. If you like pearl onions and mushrooms, double the recipes below.
Ingredients
Coq Au Vin
- 4 – 5 lb. chicken cut into 8 pieces
- 5 ounces (142 gr) thick cut bacon
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup Cognac
- 2 cups red wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 TBSP Tomato paste
- ½ tsp. minced garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 – 6 thyme sprigs (1/2 tsp. dried)
- 3 TBSP cornstarch
- 2 TBSP soft butter
- Parsley or Thyme sprigs to garnish
Pearl Onions
- 12 Pearl Onions (130 gr)
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 TBSP olive oil
Mushrooms
- ½ lb (227 gr) white mushrooms, quartered
- 1 TBSP butter
- 1 TBSP olive oil
Instructions
Coq Au Vin
- Pre heat oven to 350, if using.
- Dry chicken pieces with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Cut bacon across ways into strips ¼ inch wide by 1 inch long. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven and add bacon to a large skillet. Cook bacon until done, but not too crispy. Remove bacon with a spoon and set aside. Add chicken pieces (2 – 3 batches if necessary) and brown on relatively high heat for 5 minutes per side.
- Add cognac and let burn down to about half (flambé if you are comfortable, otherwise this works). Pour in the red wine and chicken stock. Add bacon, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Stir enough to incorporate and move to oven, covered for one hour.
- Meanwhile place cornstarch and soft butter in a small dish and stir with a fork until the cornstarch is incorporated into the butter. Set aside.
Pearl Onions
- While chicken is cooking, bring water to a boil in a small pan. Drop pearl onions into the water and bring back to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute. Strain onions in a sieve and run cold water over them until cool enough to handle. Trim both ends of onion and gently remove the outer skin. In same pan, heat olive oil and add onions. Toss for several minutes until onions are browned. Add water to half way cover the onions, sprinkle with salt, and cover the pan with a lid. Slowly simmer for 30 minutes until fork tender. Reheat if necessary.
Mushrooms
- Heat butter and olive oil in larger pan. Add quartered mushrooms and toss for 5 minutes until a light golden brown. Reheat if necessary.
- Place Dutch oven on stove top and with slotted spoon remove chicken and bacon to a platter. Cover with tin foil. Bring sauce to a boil and add butter and cornstarch mixture. Whisk in and let simmer for 10 minutes. Sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
- Return chicken to the Dutch oven to serve or arrange chicken on a platter; mushrooms on one side and pearl onions on the other. Drizzle with a little sauce and remaining sauce on the side.
- *Note: If you are using the oven; whisk the cornstarch butter mixture into the Dutch oven. Return to the oven to thicken for 10 – 15 minutes, rather than simmer down on the stove top. Serve mushrooms and onions on the side or add to Dutch oven and serve family style.
Notes
French food like Coq au Vin deserves French wine.
We’ve paired:
- Sichel “Sirius” Bordeaux Rouge 2016 ($20.00), a remarkable wine for the price point. Balanced tannins, smooth finish.