I was a kid who would come home from school and watch Good Eats instead of cartoons. The first thing I cooked for my family was a version of Coq au vin that involved 2 whole bottles of wine that never fully cooked down. They dyed the chicken thigh purple and tasted like uncooked wine. It was truly horrible, but that moment stuck with me. Coq au Vin has been a recipe I haven't really touched since then, but remaking it made me realize how truly delicious this can be. This feels fancy, like you're enjoying an afternoon lunch at a French bistro. You've got to try this one.
Ingredients
1.5 lb of skin on chicken thigh.
3 strips of bacon (as thick as possible)
6-8 oz cremini mushrooms
1 large shallot
2 garlic cloves
2 cup wine (Pinot Noir)
1 cup chicken stock
splash of cognac (50 mils)
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
herbs de provence and pepper
Lemon and parsley with chicken skin to make topping
2 tbsp softened butter for thickening
2 tbsp all purpose flour for thickening
Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a towel. Depending on the package they may be really dirty or pretty clean. Remove the stems and cut the mushrooms into quarters. Dice the shallot and mince the garlic. Remove the bone from the chicken thighs by making a cut along both sides of the bone and sliding a knife under the bone to remove it. It's not going to be perfect this way, but that's ok! Pull the skin away from the chicken, clean off any excess fat from the meat, and season generously with salt and pepper. Set the chicken skin on a sheet tray with parchment paper, then season with salt and place a layer of parchment on top. Add a sheet tray to the top and cook them in a 450 degree oven for roughly 15 minutes, or until they are crispy and rendered. Remove them from the pan and let them cool till later.
In a pot, simmer the bacon and mushrooms in enough water to cover for about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon and mushrooms and we'll set those aside for the next step. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sauté the bacon and mushrooms in a few tablespoons of butter until the bacon is crispy and the mushrooms are deeply browned (about 10 minutes). Remove them from the pot and set them aside. In the same pot, add the deboned and deskinned chicken thighs. Brown them on one side for a few minutes until they develop a golden color. They don't need to be fully cooked at this point, they will braise for a while later.
Remove the chicken from the pot and add the diced shallot and minced garlic. Sauté until translucent, then add half a tablespoon of tomato paste and cook it with the veggies. Turn off the heat and add the splash of cognac. Let the alcohol cook off slightly before turning the heat back on. Add the red wine and chicken stock, and season with pepper, thyme, and herb mix. Return the chicken to the pot along with any juices that have accumulated. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then lower the heat and cover the pot. Let it cook covered for about 30 minutes until the chicken is tender.
After 30 minutes, uncover the pot and simmer the liquid down until it's reduced by about half. To thicken the sauce, mix equal parts softened butter and all-purpose flour in a bowl to create a beurre manie. Remove the chicken from the pan and turn the heat down to low (this allows us to add the beurre manie without breaking up the chicken too much). Whisk in half of the beurre manie and let the sauce simmer to hydrate the flour. Adjust the texture by adding more beurre manie for a thicker sauce or water for a thinner one.
Stir in the crispy mushrooms and bacon along with the cooked chicken pieces. Taste for final seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
Cut the chicken skin into small pieces and toss with a little lemon zest and chopped parsley.
Plate the Coq au Vin, topping it with the lemon-parsley mixture. Pair it with sides like mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, or crunchy bread. Just be sure you have something to soak up all the insane sauce, as that's the best part.
I hope you make this streamlined coq au vin and fall in love with cooking just like I did. Cheers!
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