Coq Au Vin - Classic Chicken in Red Wine Recipe

(Originally posted on my main blog on 7/7/14)

Before we begin, this looks like a huge daunting recipe. Please - take my word for it - it is not nearly as difficult as it seems at a glance. In fact, after you've made it once, you'll want to make it all the time.  I promise, it's really quite easy.

I have been wanting to make this recipe for ages but thought it was too complicated. After recently finding the original The French Chef episodes on Amazon Prime and having a great time watching Julia Child make this recipe in her electric skillet, I decided I had to try it. I have such great memories of watching this show on PBS with my mom when I was very little.

Now, I absolutely hate mushrooms.  Hate them. Yes, I've tried them - again and again, various kinds prepared in various ways. But I hate them. Not just dislike - I hate them. Even the look of them grosses me out. But, my hubby loves mushrooms and even though neither of my children has ever liked mushrooms, there's always the chance that they might like them in this recipe. (they didn't, but they tried. My daughter did like the onions though)  So, I included the mushrooms. They are cut big enough to easily pick out, so if you have someone who is finicky like me, tell them to chill because you can pretty easily avoid dishing them onto their plate.

Unlike Julia's, I added carrots to my dish so I would have a veggie that I knew everyone would eat. I can say that I have never enjoyed carrots so much in my life! Next time, I'm adding a few more carrots.

A few other notes before we begin: You want chicken with skin on and bone in - the recipe needs to have the flavor you can only get from the skin and bone in slowly cooked dishes. I'm a big fan of boneless/skinless chicken breast, but this dish would not taste the same if you used that. 

This dish can be messy, especially for kids if they aren't used to eating bone in chicken. We took the chicken off of the bone and served each person a plate with chicken pieces, veggies and sauce over white rice (as pictured below).  We found that the dish cooled off very quickly. The next time we will remove the chicken, remove the skin and bones and put the chicken meat back into the pan the reheat a bit before serving to help keep it hot as long as possible.

This makes a lot of sauce. You may want to cook some extra chicken in a separate batch and perhaps a little extra veggies to put aside for a second meal or for lunches the next day. It's too good to waste.

I know this looks like it's hugely complex, but it's really not. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients or the directions. It's really not a hard dish at all. And it is SO yummy!

Cooking in the electric skillet

In the serving bowl

 

Served with rice, the chicken has been pulled off the bone

 

 

This recipe is adapted from Julia Child's.

 

Ingredients

3 to 4-ounce chunk lean bacon  (I used Irish bacon)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying chicken, cut into pieces  (I used 4 leg quarters)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional for seasoning  (I used kosher salt)
1/8 teaspoon pepper, plus additional for seasoning
3 cups young, full-bodied red wine, such as Burgundy, Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone, or Chianti

(I used Pinot Noir)

1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock, brown stock or canned beef bouillon (I used beef stock and beef consume)
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves  (I used several sprigs of fresh thyme)
1 bay leaf  (I used 2 fresh bay leaves)
12 to 24 Brown-Braised Onions, recipe follows (we're not big on onions so I used 12)
1/2 pound Sauteed Mushrooms, recipe follows (I used a little less)

Approx. 8 fresh carrots peeled and chopped to large pieces

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons softened butter
Fresh parsley leaves

 

Brown-Braised Onions:

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
18 to 24 peeled white onions, about 1-inch in diameter (again, I used 12)
1/2 cup brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
Salt and pepper
Medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon thyme tied in cheesecloth

(I tied the bouquet together in cooking twine)

 

 

Sauteed Mushrooms:

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
1 to 2 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions, optional (I used shallots)
Salt and pepper

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS:

 

Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4-inch across and 1-inch long).

 

In a heavy large heavy bottomed casserole or Dutch oven, saute the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very lightly browned (temperature of 260 degrees F for an electric skillet). Remove to a side dish.

 

Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it on each side in the hot fat in the casserole. (360 degrees F for the electric skillet.)

 

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly (300 degrees F) for 5 minutes, turn the chicken, season the other side and cook for 5 more minutes.

 

Pour the wine into the casserole/skillet. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herb bouquet. Bring to a simmer.

 

Add carrots. Cover and simmer slowly for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork.

 

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. (see directions below)

 

When the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken to a side dish.

 

Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for 1 to 2 minutes, skimming off fat. Then raise the heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Correct seasoning. Remove from heat.

 

Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (beurre manie). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to the simmer, stirring and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

 

Arrange the chicken in a casserole, place the mushrooms and onions around it and baste with the sauce.

 

If the dish is not to be served immediately, film the top of the sauce with stock or dot with small pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered for no longer than 1 hour or cool, cover and refrigerate until needed.

 

Shortly before serving, bring the casserole to a simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is heated through.

 

Serve from the casserole, or arrange on a hot platter. Decorate with sprigs of parsley.

 

DIRECTIONS - Brown-Braised Onions:

When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and saute over moderate heat for 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

 

Pour in the stock, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 15 to 20 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet. Set aside.

 

DIRECTIONS - Sauteed Mushrooms:

Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms and finely chopped shallots. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes.

 

During their saute the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

 

Set aside with the onions until ready to add to rest of dish.