10
JAN/FEB 2014
Coq Au Vin
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Coq au Vin Makes an Elegant, Hearty Winter Dish
Break some conventional culinary rules with this French classic
Cooks who are looking for an
elegant yet earthy and hearty dish
for winter cooking need look no
further than the classic French
The variations are understandable, since
the French housewives who first made it
were apt to use the ingredients they had on
hand. Any salt pork today? If not, substitute
bacon. If there are three or four carrots to be
had, so much the better. If not, skip them.
Coq au vin literally means “chicken with
wine.” It is a close cousin to that other
French bistro dish, boeuf bourguignon, or
“beef in burgundy.” Coq au vin breaks some
conventional culinary rules by marrying
chicken with a robust red wine.
The important thing to keep in mind is to
use fresh ingredients. Equally important is
the slow cooking that allows the flavors of
this wonderful dish to marry. (Some people
make coq au vin, refrigerate it and heat and
serve it the next day in order to give this
marrying of flavors a better chance to take
place).
provincial dish, coq au vin.
Indeed, coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon
are so close that in concocting my personal
coq au vin recipe over the years, I find it’s
virtually the same as my beef dish, with the
obvious substitution of chicken for the beef.
You’re certain to find many variations of
coq au vin. Many will not include carrots. In
some there will be a dash or two of cognac;
others will add celery; and the spices
will vary widely. Most coq au vin recipes
have onions, garlic, mushrooms, bacon, a
number of spices and, of course, chicken
and wine. There’s even a variation called coq
au vin blanc, in which a white wine is used.
When making coq au vin, make sure you
use a drinkable full-bodied red wine, such
as burgundy, and plan to drink the same
vintage with your meal. A good rule is never
to cook with a wine you wouldn’t drink –
and never use those salt-enhanced “cooking
wines” that are sold in grocery stores.
Serve your coq au vin with rice or noodles
and accompany it with a good, crusty bread.
A simple salad completes a full meal. In
addition to being an elegant dinner, a good
coq au vin warms body and spirit on a cold,
frosty night.
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3 lbs. chicken pieces
Salt and pepper
Flour
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup olive oil
8 slices of bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, chopped
3-4 large carrots, peeled and cut
into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups burgundy wine
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 bag frozen pearl onions
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. each thyme, rosemary,
marjoram
Heat the butter and oil in a large frying
pan. Salt and pepper the chicken, coat
with flour and sauté the pieces until
golden, then place in an oven-proof
casserole. Pour off the liquid from the
skillet and sauté the bacon until the fat
is rendered. Remove the bacon and set
aside. Pour off all but about a tablespoon
of the fat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot,
and parsley and sauté until the onion
starts to turn golden. Arrange the
contents of the pan over the chicken.
Add the herbs and spices and pour the
wine over all. Cover the casserole and
bake in a 325-degree oven for one hour.
While the chicken is cooking, sauté the
pearl onions and mushrooms in a little
butter until the onions begin to turn
golden. Drain and add to the casserole.
Cook for another 10-15 minutes, or
until the chicken is tender. Skim any fat
off the top of the dish before serving.
A good coq au
vin warms body
and spirit on
a cold, frosty
night.