Traditional Coq Au Vin Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.
• Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.
• Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan or flameproof dish. Tip in 3 trimmed and chopped smoked back bacon rashers and fry until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
• Add 12 peeled shallots to the pan and fry, stirring or shaking the pan often, for 5-8 mins until well browned all over. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
• Take 2 chicken legs, 4 chicken thighs and 2 boneless chicken breasts, all with skin removed and pat dry with kitchen paper.
• Pour ½ tbsp olive oil into the pan, then fry half the chicken pieces, turning regularly, for 5-8 mins until well browned. Remove, then repeat with the remaining chicken. Remove and set aside.
• Scatter in 3 finely chopped garlic cloves and fry briefly, then, with the heat medium-high, pour in 3 tbsp brandy or Cognac, stirring the bottom of the pan to deglaze. The alcohol should sizzle and start to evaporate so there is not much left.
• Return the chicken legs and thighs to the pan along with any juices, then pour in a little of 600ml red wine, stirring the bottom of the pan again.
• Stir in the rest of the wine, 150ml good-quality chicken stock and 2 tsp tomato purée. Drop in 3 thyme sprigs, 2 rosemary sprigs and 2 bay leaves to make a bouquet garni, season with pepper and a pinch of salt, then return the bacon and shallots to the pan.
• Cover, lower the heat to a gentle simmer, add the chicken breasts and cook for 50 mins - 1hr.
• Just before ready to serve, heat 1 ½ tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add 250g chestnut mushrooms, halved if large, and fry over a high heat for a few mins until golden. Remove and keep warm.
• Lift the chicken, shallots and bacon from the pan and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Remove the bouquet garni.
• To make the thickener, mix 2 tbsp plain flour, 1 ½ tsp olive oil and 1 tsp softened butter in a small bowl using the back of a teaspoon.
• Bring the wine mixture to a gentle boil, then gradually drop in small pieces of the thickener, whisking each piece in using a wire whisk. Simmer for 1-2 mins.
• Scatter the mushrooms over the chicken, then pour over the wine sauce. Garnish with a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Toss until well coated.
• Tie the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and parsley stems together with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni.
• Add the bouquet garni to the bowl with the chicken. Pour the wine over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or, even better, overnight.
• In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving any excess fat in the pot.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the liquid, and place on a paper towel-lined sheet pan. Pat the chicken with more paper towels until completely dry.
• Heat the bacon fat over medium heat until nearly smoking. Working in batches, add the chicken legs skin-side down in a single layer and cook until well browned, 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
• Add the carrots, onion, sliced mushrooms, and garlic to the pot. Cook until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, until darkened and fragrant. Then, sprinkle in the flour and cook for another minute, until incorporated.
• Pour the brandy into the pot and cook, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pot, until the liquid has evaporated, 2 minutes.
• Add the reserved marinade, including the bouquet garni. Stir to incorporate, then bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
• Return the chicken and half the cooked bacon to the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pearl onions and a pinch of salt and sugar. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes, shaking the skillet often to move the onions around.
• Uncover, add the quartered mushrooms, and increase the heat to medium-high. Continue to cook until all the vegetables have softened, 5-8 minutes. Add the onions and mushrooms to the coq au vin.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley and the reserved bacon. Serve with crusty bread.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Mix flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a shallow bowl. Pour milk into a separate bowl. Dip chicken in the milk, allowing excess milk to drip back into bowl. Dredge chicken through flour mixture until evenly coated.
• Cook 1/2 of the chicken in the hot oil until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pot and brown remaining chicken. Return all the chicken to the pot.
• Mix mushrooms, carrots, and onion into chicken, stirring gently to distribute vegetables among the chicken. Pour wine over chicken and vegetables, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pot. Add enough chicken broth to nearly cover the chicken and vegetables.
• Stir Italian seasoning, rosemary, salt, and pepper into broth mixture; bring to a boil. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour. Remove lid and turn heat up to medium-high; boil, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes.

Steps:

• In large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Brown chicken on both sides in drippings over medium heat. Transfer chicken to a 3-qt. slow cooker., Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic to skillet; cook and stir just until tender, 1-2 minutes. Spoon over chicken; add bay leaf., In a small bowl, whisk the flour, wine, broth, thyme and pepper until smooth; pour over chicken., Cover; cook on low until chicken is tender, 5-6 hours. Discard bay leaf. If desired, serve with noodles. Top with bacon.

Steps:

• Joint the chicken (for pictures of jointing, click on step by step link above or read the instructions below. Alternatively, ask the butcher to do it for you).
• JOINTING THE CHICKEN: Pull out the wing joints and cut off the wing tip. Using a small knife, cut around the skin and flesh on the lower wing joint through to the bone, then scrape back the flesh. Using a heavier large knife, smash through the bone halfway along and detach. Repeat on the other side.
• Detach the scaly leg bone at the drumstick with a hefty thump of the large knife. Slash through skin where the thigh joins the body and pull leg firmly from socket to dislocate the thigh bone. Press down and pull to expose the 'oyster' muscle underneath the bird. Slice the thigh away from the back of the body.
• Lay the whole leg joint out on the board, find the mid-point socket joint and simply cut straight through it for neat thigh and leg joints. Repeat on the other side.
• Cut through the skin and flesh halfway along to the drumstick and scrape back the flesh, then smash through the bone.
• Using poultry scissors or heavy kitchen scissors, cut away the back half of the breast carcass, to leave a 'crown' of chicken breast and wing joint. Cut through the top of the crown to divide in half for two chicken breasts.
• Lay each breast joint on the board, then cut in half again at right angles so you have one portion with a wing joint and one without. You should now have eight neat, joints of chicken.
• Put the flour into a bowl with some salt and pepper, then toss in the chicken, shaking off the excess. Place the chicken on a plate and season again.
• Heat 4 tbsp of oil in a large shallow pan and brown the chicken joints. (Do this in batches if your pan is not large enough, adding extra oil if necessary.) Tip the bacon into the pan along with the chicken, stirring until lightly browned and crisp. Using tongs, remove the chicken to a plate.
• Add all the vegetables and herbs to the bacon with a splash more oil, if necessary, then cook for about 5 mins, stirring once or twice. Pour in the Cognac and bubble up, scraping the pan to deglaze, for 2-3 mins. Then pour in all the wine and bring to the boil.
• Tip in the chicken joints; press into the pan so they are immersed in liquid and cook, uncovered, for 10 mins, until the wine has reduced by half. Pour in the stock, return to a simmer, season and cook, uncovered, for 1 hr until the liquid has reduced by half and the chicken is tender. Set aside for 10 mins before serving.
• Heat another 4 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and, when hot, fry the mushrooms for about 8 mins, seasoning well and stirring frequently until nicely browned. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Serve the chicken in bowls with vegetables and sauce spooned over, and top with the mushrooms.

Steps:

• Season chicken with 2 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a large bowl, combine chicken, wine, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or, even better, overnight.
• In a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook lardons over medium-low heat until fat has rendered, and lardons are golden and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lardons to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving rendered fat in pot.
• Remove chicken from wine, reserving the marinade. Pat chicken pieces with paper towels until very dry. Heat lardon fat over medium heat until it's just about to smoke. Working in batches if necessary, add chicken in a single layer and cook until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (Add oil if the pot looks a little dry.) Transfer chicken to a plate as it browns.
• Add diced onion, carrot, half the mushrooms and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pot. Cook until vegetables are lightly browned, about 8 minutes, stirring up any brown bits from the pot, and adjusting heat if necessary to prevent burning.
• Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then stir in flour and cook for another minute. Remove from heat, push vegetables to one side of pot, pour brandy into empty side, and ignite with a match. (If you're too nervous to ignite it, just cook brandy down for 1 minute.) Once the flame dies down, add reserved marinade, bring to a boil, and reduce halfway (to 1 1/2 cups), about 12 minutes. Skim off any large pockets of foam that form on the surface.
• Add chicken, any accumulated juices and half the cooked lardons to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, turning halfway through. Uncover pot and simmer for 15 minutes to thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick or other large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pearl onions, a pinch of sugar and salt to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, shaking skillet often to move onions around. Uncover, push onions to one side of skillet, add remaining mushrooms, and raise heat to medium-high. Continue to cook until browned, stirring mushrooms frequently, and gently tossing onions occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove onions and mushrooms from skillet, and wipe it out.
• In same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until bubbling. Add bread and toast on all sides until golden, about 2 minutes per side. (Adjust heat if needed to prevent burning.) Remove from skillet and sprinkle with salt.
• To serve, dip croutons in wine sauce, then coat in parsley. Add pearl onions, mushrooms and remaining half of the cooked lardons to the pot. Baste with wine sauce, sprinkle with parsley and serve with croutons on top.

Steps:

• Place chicken in a large bowl, and add wine. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove chicken from wine, and pat dry; reserve wine. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
• Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp, about 20 minutes. Transfer bacon to a plate, leaving drippings in pot. (You should have 3 tablespoons; you may need to add oil.)
• Raise heat to medium-high. Working in batches, cook chicken, flipping once, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Add onion to pot, and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 2 minutes. Add pearl onions and mushrooms, and cook until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in flour and tomato paste, and cook 2 minutes. Add Cognac, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• Return bacon and chicken to pot. Pour in reserved wine, and add chicken liver and herbs. Bring to a simmer. Cover, and place in oven until chicken has cooked through and vegetables are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Discard herbs, and skim fat from surface.

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine flour, garlic salt and Herbes de Provence; whisk well. Transfer half of the flour mixture to a re-sealable plastic bag and add half of the chicken thighs. Close the bag and shake until chicken is well coated. Shake each piece to remove any excess flour and place on a large plate. Add the remaining flour to the bag and coat the remaining chicken thighs.
• In a large ovenproof saucepan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons clarified butter. When hot, add thighs and cook 8 minutes per side or until brown; season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Drizzle Cognac over and warm it up for 2 seconds before flambéing it. Let it burn until it goes out on its own. Add shallots and pressed garlic, sauté all the ingredients for 1 minute. Add 1 cup red wine and cook until liquid reduces by half, deglazing the pan at the same time by scraping the bottom to dislodge any brown bits.
• Make a bouquet garni by mixing thyme, rosemary, chervil, basil, celery seeds and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the spices to a small sachet or a cheese cloth; tie up with kitchen twine.
• When the wine has reduced by half, add Basic Brown Sauce, the bouquet garni and season with more sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well, making sure the sachet is submerged and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer saucepan to a 350ºF preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes.
• Using another saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoons clarified butter. When hot, add pearl onions and sauté for 2 minutes, flipping often. To this add mushrooms and sprinkle with a little ground sea salt; crack some freshly ground black pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in 2 tablespoons red wine and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated, about 2 more minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the oven and add the onion/mushroom mixture. Stir well, cover and return the saucepan back to the oven; cook for an additional 15 minutes.
• When time is up, remove from the oven and using tongs, remove sachet of bouquet garni and discard. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. 4 servings.