Coq Au Vin

On a recent crisp fall night at the shore, our neighbors, David and Margie, treated us to a lightly dressed salad, big bowls of coq au vin and a dense, chewy baguette just perfect for mopping up this delicious stew. Paired with a sturdy red, it was a one-pot wonder for a clear, windy night at the beach. We haven’t yet replicated Davis and Margie’s excellent version, but this comes close.

Method:

extra virgin olive oil

6-8 slices bacon

1 whole chicken

coarse salt

freshly ground black pepper

1.5 c. all purpose flour

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into 1/2 inch rounds

1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced

1/4 c. brandy

6 small potatoes

1/2 bottle (or more) red wine

2 c. chicken stock

8 thyme sprigs

10 oz. pearl onions, trimmed and peeled

2 tbl. unsalted butter

1 lb. button mushrooms, wiped clean with a dry cloth and thickly sliced

1 handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Heat a turn or two of olive oil in a large pot and fry the bacon until nicely crisped. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Cut the chicken into 8 pieces. Pat dry the chicken and generously season each piece with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, tapping off any excess. Gently brown the chicken in a single layer in the bacon fat, working in batches as necessary, until all sides are golden. Set aside the browned chicken and pour off the bacon fat. Deglaze the pan with a bit of red wine, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon.

Hit the deglazed pot with the carrots and onion and saute until the onions are nicely browned. Add the garlic and saute a minute or two more. Add the brandy, tip the pot away from you, and ignite the brandy with a match. When the alcohol has burned off, add the potatoes, chicken and any accumulated pan juices to the pot. Add just enough wine and chicken stock to cover about half of the chicken. Toss in the thyme sprigs and a few roughly torn pieces of crisped bacon and cover the pot. Place the pot in the oven for about 45 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook for about 15 additional minutes.

Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Saute the mushrooms until soft and golden. Hit the pot with the onions and mushrooms, stir to combine and heat through. If the sauce has not thickened to your liking, remove a few tablespoons of liquid and whisk it together with a tablespoon of cornstarch, returning the slurry to the pot. Garnish individual plates with some torn bacon and parsley.