Coq Au Vin is another famous French classic. It is a fantastically flavorful dish, so deep and rich, perfect companion for cold winter night! The great feature is that it tastes even better after few days of rest. I tend to do all the cooking over the weekend and that normally provides for the two, fast but exceptionally good dinners during the week. The dish reheats well and the taste is absolutely delightfully delicious!!
Over the years I tried different recipes and this one is hands down the best one, by long shot!
Chicken with smooth, buttery texture, moist and tender, infused with aromatic wine sauce wraps it up in a perfect dining experience! Although it can be served over mashed potatoes, this time I listened chef’s advice and served it over the oven baked fries as well. On first look it sounded odd to say the least, but I wanted to give it a try. It worked perfectly!! Fries crunch combined with chicken tenderness provides appealing textural contrast and a perfect mouthfeel.
It is not a difficult recipe to make, but the process takes a long time. It is a low temperature/slow cooking that takes about 12 hours to complete. I know what you think, but don’t give up just yet. Most of the time is passive and actual active involvement is just a fraction of the cooking time. The longest piece is a slow brazing which takes 9 hours. Not a problem at all, but takes some planning and patience. Trust me, you will love it!!
I would recommend to start early in the morning if you like to serve it for the same evening dinner. Alternatively, cook it couple of days ahead for a quick and easy serving.
The recipe has been adapted from Chef Greg Easter.
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 11 hours |
| Servings |
servings
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- 2 - 2 1/4 kg whole chicken washed, dried and cut to 10 pieces
- bunch fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp all purpose non bleached flour
- 200 g sliced bacon cut to 1/2" strips
- 500 ml dry red wine divided (350ml+150 ml)
- 200 ml chicken stock
- 220 g button mushrooms washed, dried and quartered
- 100 g shallots cut in 1/2" thick pieces
- 30 g garlic cloves peeled, whole
- 1-2 tbsp cognac
- 1 small Bay leaf
- 2 tsp mixed peppercorns black, white, pink, green
- 3/4 tsp rosemary dried
- 1 tsp chervil dry
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt mix into ground spices
- 2 tbsp all purpose non bleached flour mix into ground spices
- 1 kg yellow potatoes peeled and cut in 1/2 square strips
- salt to taste
- fresh rosemary springs few springs
- vegetable oil for drizzle
Ingredients
Ingredients
Spice Blend
Oven Baked Fries
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- Add bay leaf, mixed peppercorns, dry rosemary and chervil to blade coffee grinder. Grind and then in a small bowl mix together with salt and flour.
- Wash chicken thoroughly inside and out, dry with paper towels.
- Cut chicken into 10 pieces.
- Cut bacon slices into 1/2" strips. Bring water to boil in a medium size sauce pan. Cover and boil the bacon for about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towels, dry thoroughly.
- Crosscut shallots into 1/2" thick pieces, peel the garlic cloves.
- Over medium heat (5 out of 10) render the bacon in a large skillet, stir occasionally. Cover with screen to prevent splattering.
- Line the medium size bowl with chicken pieces, single layer, skin side up. Sprinkle ground spices over the chicken. Cover the bowl with large plate or cutting board and shake up and down until all the pieces are thoroughly coated. Don't let any spice blend be left behind, use it all.
- Remove bacon, cool off and refrigerate in a sealed container.
- Increase heat to medium high (7 out of 10), brown chicken pieces in two batches to prevent crowding. Brown well for 3-4 minutes on each side. Good browning and the Maillard reactions is a path to a good and flavorful dish!
- Add the shallots and garlic cloves to the pan for a minute or two to get some color on them. Pour in 350ml of red wine, turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the hot stove. Leave it for a few minutes until the boil subsides to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
- Pack the brazing dish with chicken pieces in two layers, skin side up. It is important to start with the breast pieces placed at the bottom layer. These pieces are the most prone to drying out and need the most liquid. Other more moist pieces (drumsticks, wings, thighs) go over the top in the second layer. Top layer will release some fat and keep the bottom pieces from drying out.
- Strain and separate wine from shallots and garlic. Pour wine over the meat in brazing dish. Let shallots and garlic cool off and then refrigerate in a sealed container.
- Place generous number of fresh thyme springs (10-15) over the top of the chicken. Cover the brazing dish and keep it in the oven at 80ºC (175ºF) for 9 hours. Note: Brazing dish lid has to have a tight fit! If not or you are unsure of it, before you put the lid on, cover the dish with the layer of parchment paper followed with the layer of aluminum foil, seal tight around the edges.
- Carefully remove chicken pieces from the brazing dish. Pour off the brazing liquid in a small bowl. You can use a fat separator for the brazing liquid if you like to reduce the fat content.
- Over medium heat (5 out of 10) heat up medium size sauce pan. Add mushrooms, flour, chicken stock, 150 ml of red wine and brazing liquid.
- Bring to simmer, reduce heat to medium low or low (2 or 3 out of 10). Maintain temperature at 75-80ºC (167-176ºF) and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add saved shallots, garlic and cognac. Cook on low simmer for another 20-30 minutes until the sauce thickens up.
- Stir in saved bacon and few springs (3) of fresh thyme. Cook on low simmer for 15 minutes.
- Retrieve the thyme springs from the sauce. Put chicken pieces into serving dish and pour the sauce over it. Alternatively quickly cool off the sauce in a water bath and then refrigerate in a sealed container, together with chicken.
- Reheat the dish at 190ºC (375ºF) covered with the square shaped buttered parchment paper, about 30 minutes. Don't seal it with the parchment paper, just cover it, butter side down. Serve warm!
- Peel potatoes, cut into even sized 1/2" square shaped strips.
- Salt liberally, drizzle with vegetable oil, add few fresh rosemary springs. Toss all together and spread around the parchment paper lined baking pan. Roast in the oven at 190ºC (375ºF) for 40 to 45 minutes.
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