Stuck inside on a rainy Sunday I decided to indulge in one of my favorite comfort dishes, Coq au Vin. A French dish, Coq au Vin is chicken braised in red wine that is extremely rich and delicious. This recipe makes for an impressive meal that is worthy of a special occasion or a cozy day at home.
For this recipe you will need:
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 2 3-lb. chickens, quartered (chicken thighs and drumsticks may be substituted)
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, sliced (1 ½ cups pearl onions)
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 lb. button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tbs. flour
- ¼ cup brandy or cognac
- 1 ½ bottles good quality red wine
- 2 Tbs. Victoria Taylor’s Herbes de Provence
- salt & pepper to taste
In a deep, heavy skillet cook bacon until done. Remove from pan. Brown quartered chicken in bacon fat on all sides and remove from pan. Pour off any remaining bacon fat.
Add olive oil and sauté onions, carrots, and celery over medium heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle flour to coat, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add brandy to the pan. Carefully ignite with long kitchen match to burn off alcohol. Make sure to have the pan cover close by to extinguish the flame.
Add wine and stir to mix all ingredients. Add Victoria Taylor’s Herbes de Provence, chicken and any accumulated juices back to pan.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour until chicken is cooked thoroughly. Remove chicken to serving dish and keep warm. Add Mushrooms and increase heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes to concentrate sauce. If sauce is not thick enough mash one tablespoon of unsalted butter with one tablespoon of flour and stir into the sauce.
Pour sauce over chicken and serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
Best,
Victoria
