French Food Friday - Coq au Vin

It has turned colder here so this weekend I will be making Le Cordon Bleu's Coq au Vin,  slow-cooked chicken in full-bodied red wine,  perfect for a cosy night in.

Coq au vin

Ingredients

1 x 1.2 kg chicken jointed into 6 pieces

100 g bacon rind removed and cut into 2cm long batons

100 g button mushrooms

20 pearl onions peeled

Vegetable oil

70 g butter

Salt and freshly-ground pepper

Sugar

For the marinade

1 carrot sliced

1 onion sliced

1 stalk celery sliced

2 garlic cloves peeled

1 bouquet garni

5 g black peppercorns

1 l red wine

20 ml vegetable oil

50 g flour

500 ml chicken stock Salt and freshly-ground pepper

For decoration

Flat leaf parsley chopped

Instructions

Place the marinade ingredients, leaving out the flour and chicken stock, in a bowl and add the chicken pieces. Refrigerate for 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, Gas 6). On a baking tray, spread the flour evenly and toast in the oven about 15 minutes until browned lightly. Set aside.

Remove the chicken and vegetables from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels; strain the marinade into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Skim the surface, strain and set aside. Brown the chicken pieces in oil in an ovenproof casserole dish. Add the marinated vegetables and cook about 5 minutes until brown. Season. Remove from the heat and spoon off any excess fat. Sprinkle the toasted flour over the chicken and vegetables and toss to evenly coat. Add the reserved marinade and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and braise in the oven for 30 minutes.

When the chicken is tender, remove with a slotted spoon. Set aside. Strain the braising liquid and discard the vegetables. Return the strained sauce to the casserole dish and reduce to the desired consistency. Adjust seasoning.

Blanch and drain the bacon. Lightly brown in a lightly oiled frying pan. Sauté mushrooms in a frying pan with 50 g butter. Season with pinch of sugar and salt.

Place the onions in a sauté pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Immerse them ½ in cold water. Add 20 g butter and pinch of sugar and season with salt. Cook over low heat until the water has evaporated, and the onions are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Roll the onions in the resulting syrup to glaze them.

Arrange chicken breast in the centre of the plate, spoon over sauce and place lardons, mushrooms and pearl onions around it. Decorate with flat-leaf parsley.

So from our house to yours, 

 wishing you a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend ♥

L x