Coq au Vin

 

I have been meaning to post this recipe for weeks but my fingers gave me problem (again!). Finally, I am in rehab with a physiotherapist. Can’t call it enjoyable specially in this pandemic but there’s really no choice so I need to be well-protected and just focus on getting better.  Naturally, taking too many pictures was a challenge but I have tried to add as many as I could manage without stressing my fingers. 

I needed to post this today for a friend who intends making it as a special meal to 

surprise his beautiful wife :)

Coq au Vin is a French classic. Coq is Chicken and Vin is Wine. Yes, it’s decadent to its very core. And it tastes even more delicious the following day when the chicken has had the time to soak in the wine. The taste naturally depends on the quality of wine used. For this dish, we use Red Wine preferably from Burgundy but you can use a good local variety if its full bodied. The original recipe that was taught to me in France takes over 3 hours to make. However, given that most of us don’t have so much time to spare in the kitchen but still love a good meal, I figured I would create a short cut that maximises the flavour without compromising on the taste. So, my version takes about 40 - 45 minutes. And most of that time is when you leave the pot full of coq au vin on simmer so no real supervision needed. You can increase or decrease the seasoning based on your personal preferences. 

Remember, be cautious about adding salt simply because you use bacon/anchovies and also chicken stock. Once the chicken is simmering you can make my suggested accompaniment or do other chores. Make sure you set the timer if you intend leaving the kitchen:)

Ingredients

1/2 teacup butter (unsalted)

3 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves/ 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves

6 shallots/ 2 red onions chopped

12 mid sized brown mushrooms sliced (each mushroom can be sliced into 2 to 3 pieces). Brown mushrooms have a more intense flavour than the white button mushrooms.

Salt to taste

Ground black pepper 

1 litre red wine (Burgundy/ good local or full bodied variety available in your store)

1 litre chicken stock ( I will cover how to make good Chicken broth on the website soon but in this case, use store bought that’s low on salt)

10 mid-sized garlic cloves, chopped (you can keep these fine or slightly chunky if you like the taste of garlic pieces)

1 kg skinned organic chicken pieces (I use thigh fillets but breast fillets taste as good or you can mix them up. I use boneless because that’s how I learned it)

250 grams unsmoked streaky bacon, chopped/ 5 anchovies stored in olive oil (if you don’t have access to Bacon or don’t eat it for health/religious reasons).

Method

In a deep vessel, add the olive oil and butter and allow to heat on low heat. 

Once the butter is melted, add the onions/shallots. 

Cook for 5 minutes until they soften slightly. 

Add the garlic and bacon/anchovies. 

Allow to cook for 8- 10 minutes, stirring so that the flavours mingle. 

Add thyme and the chopped mushrooms. 

Stir them till the mushrooms start leaving their juices (about 10 minutes). 

Add salt and pepper powder next.  Go easy on the salt ( half teaspoon is enough for now). You can easily adjust this at the end. 

Mix. 

Pour in the wine carefully. 

Increase the heat to medium-high and allow the wine to come to a boil. 

Once boiling (we do this to evaporate the alcohol without losing the flavours) allow it to bubble for about 10 - 12 minutes. 

Next, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken stock. 

Allow to mingle, then increase the heat. 

Allow to boil for about 7-8 minutes. 

Add the chicken pieces next. 

Mix well and once the mix starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover. 

Allow to cook for 35-40 minutes on low/ simmer till the chicken is cooked. 

Serve with crusty bread.  

Tastes even better the next day. 

Freezing instructions:

You can cool this down and freeze it for later. I generally do this when I am expecting a heavy load of work but don't want boring food on the plate. Sometimes I also do this when I am expecting guests and have way too many things to cook on the actual day. 

So, how do you do this?

Cool down the chicken. Then, simply put the chicken pieces and sauce into a freezer proof container making sure the sauce covers the chicken pieces. Cover and freeze in your freezer. 

To  defrost and serve the following day , keep in the refrigerator over night. The next morning/ evening before you intend serving,  pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C. Put the chicken and sauce in an oven-proof container/ casserole dish ( I put a foil on top as cover or use a casserole with a cover). 

Put in the oven. Allow to heat for about 30 minutes till its piping hot. You can add a splash of hot water to moisturize the chicken before putting it in the oven.  

Serving suggestions -

Though delicious with just bread, I love to serve this with oven-roasted  potatoes that have been tossed with fresh herbs and olive oil. To make this, simply put a tray of cleaned and scrubbed chopped potatoes (with skin) that have been tossed with a dash of  olive oil rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.  Allow to roast for about 45 -50 minutes (till done) at 180 degrees C. 

Hope you enjoy this delicacy as much as we do. It always brings back great memories of my student life in France :)