This week on Barefoot Bloggers, the featured recipe was Coq au Vin, or chicken cooked in wine sauce. I think it was on “The Next Food Network Star” or some other such show where I first learned that Coq au Vin is traditionally made with a very old rooster. That being unavailable, and rather unappetizing I might add…, I went with a split chicken breast.
The results here were excellent. The sauce tasted rich and herbal; the chicken was tender and juicy. RJ even ate the carrots, the broth was so good! I don’t know how much I can credit the fact that I followed the recipe through the oven cooking portion the day before, then finished the sauce the next night, but the flavors were certainly pronounced and well blended. This method also prevented us from eating dinner at 9:00 – always a plus.
I would certainly cook this again, though next time I will leave some time to reduce the liquids down a bit more. My sauce was thin and did not really stick to the noodles or the chicken, even after the addition of the buerre manie. Bon Appetit!
Coq Au Vin, from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
4 oz. good bacon or pancetta, diced
1 (3 to 4 lb.) chicken, cut in 8ths
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb, carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/4 c. Cognac or good brandy
1/2 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy
1 c. good chicken stock, preferably homemade
10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 1/2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 lb. frozen small whole onions
1/2 lb. cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.
Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.
Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.
From My Table...to Yours 
i did mine in the crockpot and it turned out well. i do agree the sauce was a bit too thin.
Oooooh… the slow cooker! Great idea!
Mine never thickened…but there is a reason for that.
I would never thought of using a crockpot but I wish I had now. I think mine should have thickened more too. But I served with rice and we gobbled it right down so it wasn’t all bad! Great job on yours.
One of the best meals I have ever had: Coq au Vin at Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, CA. Though I have never been to Paris since my culinary tastes have ‘matured’ – this will certainly be on my list of things to order. Sometimes I use cornstarch to thicken a sauce or soup up a little bit.