Coq au Vin

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs
• 6 chicken legs, both trimmed of fat
• 1 bottle fruity red wine (pinot noir, zinfandel
• or merlot)
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup beef stock
• 8 ounces slab bacon, cut into 1/4" pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large carrot, rough cut
• 1 large onion, rough cut
• 1 leek, rough cut
• 2 medium shallots, peeled & quartered
• 2 medium garlic clove, smashed
• handful thyme >
• bunch parsley stems
• 2 bay leaf >
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 24 pearl onions
• 1/2 lb. small mushrooms (white or crimini)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• minced fresh parsley leaves

Method

• Place wine and stocks in saucepan, bring to boil and lower heat slightly. Reduce to about 4 cups. Saute bacon in large dutch oven until done but not crisp.
• Leave about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan and place cut up vegetables in pan, sauteing until slightly brown.
• Take the vegetables out of the pan and hold in the wine/stock mixture.
• Place the olive oil and butter in pan and brown chicken. Remove from pan.
• Deglaze pan with about a cup of the wine/stock mixuture.
• Add the rest of the wine/stock/vegetable mixture to the pan. Add the chicken in. Add thyme, parsley stems, bay leaves, tomato paste. Cover and place in oven for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, saute the onions and mushrooms and hold aside with the bacon.
• When chicken is done, remove from oven. Remove chicken from pot. Strain liquid and remove fat. Place sauce back in pan and whisk in butter/flour mixture to desired consistency. Add mushrooms, bacon and onion and reheat slightly. Add back in chicken. Serve.

Notes

• NOTES:
• NOTES : This is a delicious French Provencal dish. It is truely a "fricassee" and demonstrates the "stewing" method with this dish. "Braising" simply uses less liquid, but the techniques remain very similar. I think of this as a typical French Bistro dish....enjoy!
• SERVINGS: 6
• SOURCE: Apple Charlotte