Coq au Vin
This classic French country dish consists of chicken cooked slowly in red wine with onions, mushrooms, bacon, and herbs. When we were young, Mama used to make a similar dish in her slow cooker. Opening the front door on a cold night and welcomed by the inviting smells of stew from a slow cooker can be a dream come true. But winter is not the only time a slow cooker is useful. As it puts out no heat, it makes a cool substitute for a hot oven in the summer, and it uses less electricity. For this dish, a slow cooker is fine, as is a Dutch oven set on the cooktop. If using a slow cooker, don’t skip the step of browning the chicken, or you will have a flabby, tasteless mess. This is a l-o-o-ng recipe, requiring many steps to create its layers of flavor, which may seem daunting to some cooks, but it’s not a difficult one. Consider making this dish ahead and refrigerating it overnight so the flavors will marry and blend: simply reheat it the next day. Note: A wooden spoon is perfect for telling you when your sauce is finished. The sauce will coat the back of the spoon when it has reached the proper coating consistency (napper in classic French cooking).
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place the chicken pieces in a large nonreactive bowl. Add the onion, carrot, celery, crushed garlic, peppercorns, and wine. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least several hours or overnight.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet and a plate with paper towels.
Step 3
Transfer the chicken pieces from the marinade to the baking sheet. Pat them dry with additional paper towels. Strain and reserve the marinade liquid, reserving the vegetables separately.
Step 4
To prepare the chicken, heat a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to the prepared plate. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Decrease the heat to medium, and add 1 tablespoon of the canola oil and heat until shimmering.
Step 5
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces to the pan, skin side down, and cook over medium heat until a rich, golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the browned chicken to the baking sheet; set aside.
Step 6
Add the drained vegetables from the marinade to the pan, and cook until they start to color, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and shallots and cook until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Sprinkle on the flour and toss again to lightly coat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour turns brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven. Add the reserved marinade liquid and enough stock so that the chicken is barely covered. Add the bouquet garni and bring to a boil over medium-high heat on top of the stove. Cover and transfer to the oven.
Step 7
Bake until the chicken pieces are tender and fall apart easily when pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 8
Or, to cook on top of the stove, bring to a boil, decrease the heat to very low and simmer until the chicken pieces are tender and fall apart easily when pierced with a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 9
To cook the vegetables, in a skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter over medium heat. Add the sprig of thyme, sprig of parsley, bay leaf, mushrooms, and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until lightly browned and tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside and keep warm. Add the reserved bacon and toss to combine. Remove and discard the sprigs of thyme and parsley and the bay leaf. Set aside and keep warm.
Step 10
To finish the sauce, once the chicken is tender and fully cooked, transfer the pan from the oven to the cooktop. Remove the chicken pieces to a bowl, cover, and keep warm.
Step 11
Remove and discard the bouquet garni. In the Dutch oven, using an immersion blender, puree the sauce and vegetables until smooth. Or, once the chicken is removed, ladle the sauce and vegetables into a blender and puree a little at a time until smooth.
Step 12
Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon; thin with more stock, if needed, to achieve this consistency. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Lift the spoon out of the sauce and run your finger across the back of the pan; if the line holds, the sauce is done.
Step 13
Return the chicken to the sauce and turn to coat. Add the reserved mushrooms and onions. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until warm and the flavors marry and blend, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
variation
Step 14
You can make this recipe with boneless, skinless breasts instead of bone-in pieces. Simmer the breasts as directed on top of the stove along with the other ingredients, but just until the juices run clear, only 8 to 10 additional minutes. Remove the breasts to a warm plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let the sauce continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Return the breasts to the sauce and finish as directed.
