Coq Au Vin Recipe

French Chicken and Vegetables in Wine Sauce

© Jackie Milligan

Nov 14, 2008

When you say French food, many people envision haute cuisine or neuvelle style with its' microscopic portions. Food laden with fat and rich heavy sauces. Have no fear, French cooking is not about causing heartburn and lethargy. Most traditional French dishes are cooked slowly with fresh herbs and spices to bring out the true flavor of the meat and vegetables in the dish. Heavy butter and cream laden sauces have their place and time but are not a staple of the French diet.

Coq au vin is a delicious braised chicken dish meant to simmer slowly on the stove to tenderize the chicken while infusing the with flavors from the bouquet garni into the rich sauce created by simmering the bird in wine.

The following recipe calls for burgundy which is a full- bodied red but any type of wine you may prefer can be substituted.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb chicken pieces
• 1/4 lb salt pork
• 3 tbsp butter
• salt
• black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 c sliced carrots
• 10 boiling onions (or 2 large yellow onions,quartered)
• 1/2 lb crimini mushrooms
• 1/8 c brandy
• 1 1/2 c burgundy
• 1/4 c chicken stock
• 1 bouquet garni

Bouquet garni ingredients:

• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tsp chopped chives
• square of cheese cloth

How to assemble bouquet garni:

1. place square of cloth on clean, flat surface
2. place all herbs in the center of square chopping them first if desired
3. fold edges up to make a 'purse' and tie with cooking string to seal

Cooking directions for Coq Au Vin:

1. dice salt pork into 1" squares and blanch in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes
2. drain water from pan and set salt pork aside
3. rinse chicken pieces and pat them dry
4. sprinkle with salt and black pepper
5. melt butter in large pan over med heat
6. brown chicken pieces turning to be sure all sides are browned, you may need to brown chicken in two batches to ensure pieces are not crowded and that all the pieces are browned
7. peel onions and carrots
8. slice carrots and quarter onion if you are not using boiling onions
9. remove chicken from pan
10. add olive oil, salt pork and onions to pan
11. cook on med heat stirring frequently until onion begins to brown (about 7 min if using boiling onions)
12. return chicken pieces to pan
13. add brandy and set aflame shaking pan gently until flame dies out
14. add red wine, more salt and pepper, carrots and bouquet garni
15. cover and simmer for 15 min
16. add mushrooms and continue to simmer for 30 to 45 min until chicken is tender
17. mix flour and chicken stock stirring to make a loose paste
18. remove and discard bouquet garni
19. remove chicken and veggies to a serving platter
20. pour flour paste into pan and stir until thickened
21. immediately pour sauce over chicken and serve

A nice side dish to accompany Coq Au Vin is sauteed swiss chard

For an authentic French dessert recipe see How to make Clafouti by Jackie Milligan in French Farmhouse Cooking on suite 101

This recipe is simple to make and will earn you raves.

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