Coq au Vin - 2 Days

By Thom7747

Coq au Vin means rooster in wine. According to the French, the older the rooster the better the dish. Therefore, go out and kill the oldest rooster in the yard. He will be the one strutting the highest as he prances around the hens. As you chase him just think of how good he will be cooked in this red wine and you will catch him faster. Remember now, this is a recipe that you start today for dinner tomorrow. Obviously, you can prepare it today but it will not be as good as it will be tomorrow.

Ingredients

• If cooking the same day, add:
• Ideally a rooster, or 1 or 2 chickens (1.5kg, 3.5 lb), cut into 8 pieces or more
• 1/2 bottle of full-body Burgundy red wine (or Cotes du Rhone)
• 6 bacon slices (5 oz), diced
• 0.5 lb (250g) button mushrooms
• A dozen small white onions
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 2 carrots, peeled and quartered
• Sunflower oil, unsalted butter
• Bouquet of herbs: 2 sprigs of thyme and 1 bay leaf, tied all together with string
• Parsley
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup of cognac or brandy

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Step 1: A day in advance, clean and cut the rooster/chicken in 8 pieces or more. Pour half a bottle of red Burgundy wine over.

Step 2: Add the small white onions, the quartered peeled carrots and the herbs. Cover and put in the fridge.

Step 3: The next day, remove and drain the chicken and vegetables. Put the wine aside for later use.

Step 4: Brown the chicken pieces with oil in a skillet. Remove the chicken. Using the same skillet, add garlic to the vegetables and heat for a couple of minutes

Step 5: Put the chicken and the vegetables in a large sauce pan. Pour the wine and add salt and pepper

Step 6: Bring to a boil at moderate heat.

Step 7: Cover and cook at low heat for 1 or 2 hours

Step 8: Heat bacon, onion and mushrooms in a skillet until brown (10 minutes)

Step 9: When the chicken is ready, add bacon, onion and mushrooms in the pan, cook and stir for 2 or 3 minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning,

Step 10: Add parsley to the chicken when finish. Prepare rice or potatoes to serve with Coq au vin.

Alternate version for cooking the same day:
In step 5, do not pour the wine in the pan now. Pour instead cognac or brandy over the chicken. Ignite the spirit with a match. Be extra careful the heat is off and your face away. Shake the pan for a few seconds. You can now pour the wine in the pan and follow the recipe as indicated.