Coq au vin is French and means “rooster with wine”. It is a braise of rooster/chicken cooked with wine, bacon, mushrooms and garlic. Originally the dish was made with Burgundy, but recently the French people have begun to use local wines when they make it.

This version with white wine is great to serve on a cold and snowy day (like today), but just as good on a rainy summer day.

It takes approximately 20 hours to make the dish, but it is all worth it!

 

Ingredients (4 servings)

1 chicken

2 tbsp. olive oil, for cooking

12 shallots, peeled

1 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound mushrooms, 1/2 sliced and 1/2 whole

10 slices bacon

1/8 cup cognac

2 1/2 cup good white wine

2 cups chicken stock

3 tbsp. thyme leaves, fresh

3 bay leaves

2 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. butter

3/4 cup cream

Salt

Pepper

Cut the chicken into 6-8 pieces – thigh, drumsticks, and breast (cut each breast into two pieces if they are big). Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Chop the bacon roughly and fry in a cast iron pod until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon, but leave the melted fat. If necessary, add the olive oil and brown the meat on both sides. Remove the chicken and set it a side while making the sauce.

Add the butter and the shallots and roast until the onions begin to get transparent. Then add the mushrooms and roast for 5-6 minutes or until the mushroom liquid is gone. Add garlic and roast for a few more minutes.

Shift the flour into the vegetables and stir well. Add the cognac and stir until combined with the flour. Then add 1/3 cup of white wine at time and stir well between. Make sure that roux is thickening before adding more. When your have added approximately 2/3 of the wine, stop adding liquid and let cook for 4-5 minutes. Then add the rest of the wine and the chicken stock.

Bring to a boil before adding thyme, bay leaves, 2/3 of the fried bacon and the browned chicken. Let boil for a few minutes. Put a lid on the pod and let simmer in the oven (convection) at 270F for about an hour or until the meat is tender.

When cooked, remove the chicken from the pod and add the cream. Bring to boil on the stove. Let boil at medium heat for 10 -15 minutes or until the sauce has the right consistency (the consistency you like best). Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the remaining fried bacon on top of the finished arrangement and serve with rice, a good french baguette and a glass of wine 🙂

Bon Appétit!

Ingredients (4 servings)

1 chicken

2 tbsp. olive oil, for cooking

12 shallots, peeled

1 garlic cloves, minced

450 g mushrooms, 1/2 sliced and 1/2 whole

10 slices bacon

0.3 dl cognac

6.25 dl good white wine

5 dl chicken stock

3 tbsp. thyme leaves, fresh

3 bay leaves

2 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. butter

1.8 dl cream

Salt

Pepper