Coq au Vin

By corlear

The mature ‘coq’ that would give this dish its characteristic flavour would need longer to cook than an average bird: allow at least twice the length of time given in this recipe.

Ingredients

• FOR THE MARINADE:
• 4 1/2 lb chicken
• 1/4 lb bacon, cut in lardons
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 18 —20 baby onions
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered
• 2 2/5 Tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 cups broth
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• bouquet garni
• salt
• pepper
• 1 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 stick celery, thinly sliced
• bouquet garni
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 6 black peppercorns
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the marinade: in a saucepan (not aluminium) combine the wine, onion, carrot, celery, bouquet garni, garlic, peppercorns and olive oil. Bring to a boil, simmer 5 minutes and let cool
completely.

Cut the chicken into eight pieces. Pour the marinade over the bird, cover and leave at room temperature for 6 hours or in the refrigerator for 10—12 hours, turning the pieces occasionally.

Drain the pieces of chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade and reserve both the liquid and the vegetables. If the bacon is very salty, blanch it. If you want to simmer the chicken in the oven, set the oven at moderate (l75°X/350°F).

In a sauté pan or shallow casserole heat the oil and butter and fry the bacon until well browned and the fat is extracted. Take out the bacon and set on one side; add the pieces of chicken, skin side down to the pan. Cook over a medium fire until brown; turn and brown the other side. Remove the pieces of chicken; add the onions and sauté until lightly browned. Take them out, add the mushrooms, sauté until tender and remove them also.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat, add the onion, carrot and celery from the marinade and cook over a low fire until soft but not browned. Sprinlde with the flour and cook until foaming. Stir in the reserved marinade and the broth, and add the pieces of chicken, garlic, shallots, bouquet garni, salt and pepper. Simmer over a low fire or in the oven for 45—60 minutes or until the bird is just tender. Take out the chicken pieces, set aside with the bacon and keep warm.

Put the baby onions in a large casserole. Strain the sauce over them, pressing well on the vegetables, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the onions are nearly tender. Add the mushrooms and simmer 2—3 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to a thin, coating consistency.

Return chicken and bacon to the sauce and taste for seasoning. Serve the coq au vin from the casserole, sprinkling it with the chopped parsley just before serving.