Coq au Vin
Inspired by the recipe in Julia Child's first cookbook: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, this is a classic provincial French dish. This recipe has been handed down from generation to generation. When an old cock was no longer useful in the hen house, he made his way to the dinner table. Wine was used to slowly cook the old bird, making the tough meat a delicate treat. Bon Appetite!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces bacon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 3 pound chicken, cut up
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup cognac optional
- 3 cups red wine
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves mashed
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoon flour
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
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In a heavy skillet, heat the bacon until the fat is rendered (released), and add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan.
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When the butter is melted, dry the chicken and lay it in the bacon fat and butter. Let the chicken brown on both sides.
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Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes, turning once.
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Turn off the heat and add the cognac. Adverting your face, use a long match to light the cognac. Shake the skillet for several seconds until the flames subside.
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Pour in the wine and stock. Add the tomato paste, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear when pricked with a fork. ** Remove the chicken to a side dish.
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Blend together the softened butter and flour. Whisk this paste into the hot liquid. Bring to a boil then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
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(Fat removal: When the sauce is boiling, let the fat accumulate in the center and spoon it off to remove it. If you are making it ahead, simply remove the fat the next day after it has cooled and solidified.)
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The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain it over the chicken in a serving dish.
Recipe Notes
** This dish can be made a day ahead up to this point. Cover it and refrigerate it at this point. You can then pick it back up at this point about an hour before you are ready to serve it.