Weeknight Coq au Vin

By garciamoss

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 large (about 3 pounds) chicken thighs, skin on
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup (about 1 ounce) dried wild mushrooms
• 1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) 1/2-inch cubed pancetta or bacon
• 1 large red or yellow onion, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium carrots, cut into large bite-size pieces
• 5 large cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups dry, fruity red wine (zinfandel, burgundy)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 whole sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 to 8 whole sprigs fresh parsley, to garnish

Details

Adapted from thekitchn.com

Preparation

Step 1

Lightly sprinkle the chicken thighs on all sides with salt and pepper. Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and pour enough boiling water over to just cover.

Over medium heat in a 4- to 6-quart (large enough to accommodate the chicken) deep skillet or Dutch oven with a lid, brown the pancetta, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onions and cook another minute, until onions begin to soften. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the chicken, skin side down, and cook, turning the pieces as they brown on each side. Drain off any excess fat.

Add the carrots, crushed garlic, tomato paste, wine, chicken stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Lower the heat so that the liquid just barely simmers. Cover and cook about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F.

Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter. Skim any excess fat off the top of the liquid. Remove the mushrooms from their soaking liquid and add them to the pot. Pour the mushroom liquid through a fine sieve or cheese cloth (to remove any grit) and into the pot. Turn the heat up to high and boil the mixture until the sauce is reduced by a third to a half, depending on how much time you have. Remove the bay leaves and thyme.

A few minutes before serving, put the chicken pieces back into the sauce to re-heat. Serve each chicken thigh topped with a ladle of sauce and garnished with chopped parsley leaves or a whole parsley sprig.