If I had a photo, I would most certainly use it. That is... unless the photo I have sucks. For now, you'll just have to picture a big heaping helping of
Coq au Vin
...in your mind.
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Coq au Vin
Julia Child's iconic French chicken dish. Rich, tender so delicious and while it tastes complicated, it really isn't.
1 cup thick cut bacon, cut into approximately 1 inch square pieces
Olive oil
Approximately 3 pounds chicken (not breasts) I used bone-in, skin on thighs and legs
1/4 cup Cognac or Brandy (brandy is basically cognac that comes from somewhere other than the Cognac region of France)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
20 pearl onions, frozen
3 tablespoons regular flour
2 cups red wine, Julia would say to use a Burgundy or pinot noir – but I’ve used other reds before with great success (use what you have I'm saying)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
Fresh thyme for garnish
Directions
Heat a heavy bottom pot (that has a lid) over medium, add 2 tablespoons of oil and the bacon – cook until just beginning to brown then removes to a plate, leave in the oil
Dry the chicken with paper towels, then put into the pot and sear until nicely browned on all sides
IMPORTANT: Here's where we add the cognac, so kill the heat, pour it in and around the chicken then light with a match or lighter – but don’t have your face anywhere over the top of the pot cuz it’ll flame. The alcohol will burn off and should go out after about 30 seconds, but if you’re concerned, just put the lid on for a minute
Scatter the thyme and onions around the chicken, add the bay leaf and cover for 10 minutes
Remove the lid and sprinkle the flour over the chicken, the turn the pieces over a couple times to absorb the flour into the sauce
Put in the wine, garlic, tomato paste, reserved bacon and enough of the chicken stock to almost cover the chicken
Cover and simmer gently 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is approx 185 degrees
Remove chicken, set a side and keep warm then add the mushrooms and bring back to a simmer – let go until the mushrooms are tender and the sauce has thickened. If you want it thicker, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a little water until smooth, then stir it in
Put the chicken back in to warm up, then serve - garnished with fresh thyme if you like
