Classic French:
I have been trying to present cuisines from a variety of countries, and the recipe below is no exception. Coq au vin literally means “rooster in wine” en Français. I use chicken in my recipe, but this classic French stew is typically made with old rooster. Old roosters apparently create a rich broth for what eventually becomes the gravy/sauce.
There are hundreds of variations throughout France, but I think you will find the recipe below to be fit for special occasions.
Coq au vin
- 1 bottle (750 milliliters) – dry red wine (preferably a French wine like Beaujolais)
- 1 – large onion, chopped
- 1 – large carrot, chopped
- 4 sprigs – thyme
- 5 sprigs – Italian parsley
- 1 – bay leaf
- 5 to 6 pounds – chicken legs, breasts, wings, and backs (leave skin on) – about 2 of each part
- 8 ounces – bacon slices, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons – butter
- 3 cloves – garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons – unbleached all purpose four
- 1 - shallot, chopped
- 1 pound – button mushrooms cut into quarters
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 10 – French baguette bread slices 1-inch thick
- Gently mix the wine, onion, carrot, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf in a large bowl. Immerse the chicken pieces in the mixture, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Chicken and vegetables ready to marinate
- The next day, remove the chicken to a bowl or plate. Strain the wine from the vegetables and set both aside. In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon for about 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat until it is crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate covered with a paper towel to drain.
- Sliced and cut bacon
- Place 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pot into a small bowl and pour off the rest. In the same pot, add 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and 1 tablespoon of butter and allow the butter to melt over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken pieces to the pot and cook until they have browned, about 5 minutes per side.
- Chicken parts browning.
- Remove and repeat with the second half of the chicken pieces. Once all the chicken has browned and been removed, add the vegetable reserve and cook until browned, about 12 minutes.
- Vegetables browning
- Make sure to scrape the bits off the bottom of the pot when stirring the vegetables. Add the garlic and cook for one minute stirring. Add the flour and stir for an additional 2 minutes (do not allow the flour to burn). Add the red wine reserve to the pot and stir to remove bits and cooked flour from the bottom of the pot. Turn the heat to medium low and simmer covered for 45 minutes.
- In a frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and allow the butter to melt over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the button mushrooms and continue to sauté the mixture for an additional 10 minutes (the mushrooms should turn golden brown but not completely lose their moisture).
- Meanwhile toast the bread on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes, until brown. Once the vegetables and chicken in the pot have simmered until the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken to a bowl. Once again, strain the liquid and discard the vegetables. Let the oil separate from the strained liquid and discard.
- Remove the oil from the sauce
- Place the liquid back into the pot and boil until the liquid is reduced to a sauce, about 10 minutes. You can boil longer if you want a thicker sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste and then add the bacon, shallots, and mushrooms to the sauce and cook over medium heat until the ingredients are heated, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, remove the skin from the chicken pieces. Place one or two pieces on each of five plates along with 2 slices of the toasted bread. Cover both the bread and chicken with the sauce and serve hot.
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