Coq Au Vin
★★★☆☆
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 120g pancetta or bacon lardons, cubed
- 8-10 pieces chicken thighs and legs
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 80ml brandy or whisky
- 375ml red wine
- 250ml chicken stock
- 8-10 sprigs thyme
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1½ tbsp flour (or corn starch for gluten-free)
- 250g mushrooms
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 120°C/250°F. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Fry pancetta or bacon lardons for 8-10 minutes until browned and remove to a plate.
- 2. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown in batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove to same plate as bacon. You're just browning both sides, not cooking through.
- 3. Slice onions and carrots in medium chunks and add to pot with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Add brandy and scrape up browned bits. Return bacon and chicken with juices, pour in wine, stock, and thyme. Bring to boil, cover, and place in oven for 55 minutes.
- 4. When chicken is no longer pink, mix melted butter with flour and stir into sauce. Slice mushrooms thickly and add to pot. Taste and adjust seasoning. Return to oven uncovered for 10-15 minutes to thicken sauce.
Use bone-in chicken thighs and legs rather than breasts, which become stringy with long cooking. The low oven temperature allows for gentle braising. Deglazing with brandy adds depth - whiskey, bourbon, or red wine can substitute. Sauce color varies from brown to purple depending on wine choice. The beurre manié (butter-flour mixture) helps thicken if needed after natural reduction.
Wine Pairing: Medium Red