Coq Au Vin
Overnight marinade (24-48 hours)
3 chicken breasts halves
3 chicken legs, cut in half
2 yellow onions, peeled and cut into 1/2″ dice
3 shallots, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
Bouquet Garni (handful of parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, and 5 bay leaves)
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 bottles of red wine
salt and pepper for seasoning the chicken
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Cognac
2 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
6 oz. apple-smoked bacon, diced
1 lb button mushrooms
1 pt small white onions
Garnish
Minced Parsley
(option) toasted croutons
Coq Au Vin
Place chicken pieces, onions, shallots, carrots, bouquet garni and garlic in a large bowl. Add wine, mix all ingedients and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 – 48 hours.
Remove chicken from marinade and dry on paper towels, reserve marinade. Season Chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil n a large casserole over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in batches and brown well on all sides. Remove pieces as done and set aside.
Add flour to casserole and whisk for 1-2 minutes on low heat. Return chicken. Remove casserole from heat. Add cognac and carefully ignite. Return casserole to heat and add marinade. Bring to a boil over high heat, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the casserole. Add Chicken stock and return to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is tender; about 1 hour. Remove chicken from casserole and set aside. Strain the sauce through a sieve and discard solids. Return sauce to casserole.
Pour cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk in about 1/2 cup of sauce and mix until smooth. Add cocoa mixture to casserole, then reduce sauce over medium heat to about 4 cups. Re-introduce the chicken.
Meanwhile, saute bacon, mushrooms, and white onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove this mixture from the saute pan with a slotted spoon and add to chicken casserole.
Plating the dish: Serve the finished dish in a bowl; top with chopped parsley and croutons (optional), and serve with a warm crusty bread and a Red Burgundy (Pinor Noir). For a more hearty meal, serve with a side of creamy mashed potatoes.
