RCP: Coq Au Vin

COQ AU VIN:

3-4 lb Chicken disjointed
¼ lb Salt Pork rind removed and cut into lardons
5 T Olive oil
1 T Unsalted butter
Salt & Pepper
¼ C Brandy
Bottle of red wine (preferably Pinot Noir or Beaujolais)
2 C Beef or chicken stock
1 T Tomato paste
½ tsp Mashed garlic
¼ tsp Thyme
¼ tsp Penzeys Bay leaf seasoning (or Bay leaf)
½ lb Frozen small white onions thawed
½ lb Mushrooms caps only quartered
1 T Arrowroot
3 T Port

Simmer lardoons in water to cover for 10 minutes, drain, rinse in cold water, and dry. Sauté them in a 4 quart Dutch oven with two tablespoons olive oil. When they lightly brown, remove them to a side dish. Dry the onions on paper towel, and in a separate skillet salt them and brown them in two tablespoons of olive oil; simmering until time to add to pot. Wash and dry chicken pieces and brown them in the pot on all sides. Season with salt and pepper, and return all pieces with lardoons to pot, cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes turning chicken once. Uncover, ignite brandy, and pour over chicken. When flames go out pour wine into pot; whisk tomato paste, garlic, and herbs into stock and add to the chicken. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add onions to chicken recover and simmer 15 more minutes. Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in skillet in one tablespoon each butter and olive oil. Add to chicken, recover and simmer another 15 minutes. Remove all meat and vegetables to a warm platter (200 degree oven). Boil fluids down to two and one fourth cups. Combine arrowroot and Port, and add to fluid to thicken. Pour some of sauce over meat and vegetables, and serve the rest in a gravy boat.

Thanks Carl,

I love this dish and make it fairly often. I usually don't use port as I think onions and the wine (Bojo usually in my case) give enough sweetness. Also I tend to put a bit of Dijon mustard in which also gives a touch of sweetness. Also I don't tend to use tomato and put in fresh onion (I've never heard of frozen ones, LOL!!).

What's arrowroot?

Seems like there are enough differences in the way we make ours that I'll try your's the next time I make it.

I also very much like the dish made with white wine instead of red. Coq au Riesling I guess it is then

Thanks Otto. The late great Michael Field had a lovely Coq Au Vin Riesling in his book "All Manner of Food", circa 1970.

Arrowroot is a thickener similar to corn or potato starch. I find it better in some dishes such as this one.

Sounds Great Carl. This is next Sunday's dinner. (We're visiting my in-laws this weekend so Sunday will probably be burgers with the kids, neice and uncle)

I haven't made it in a while, but plan on making some within a few weeks - have some friends over and taste about 5 different Gamays (Bojo). I have a different recipe I use from a French cook book.

I made this tonight, IK, but modified it a bit. I like the richness Syrah gives to the dish, so Syrah it was. I doubled the garlic -- can't get enough of the stuff. I don't really care for pearl onions, so I used four chopped shallots instead. Finally, I used Sherry instead of the Port. The end result? Carole gave it a thumbs up, and Tawny the wonder mutt gave it several shakes of the tail ... or was that Carole?

Thanks for the impetus to cook it up....

COQ AU VIN:

3-4 lb Chicken disjointed
¼ lb Salt Pork rind removed and cut into lardoons
5 T Olive oil
1 T Unsalted butter
Salt & Pepper
¼ C Brandy
Bottle of red wine (preferably Pinot Noir or Beaujolais)
2 C Beef or chicken stock
1 T Tomato paste
½ tsp Mashed garlic
¼ tsp Thyme
¼ tsp Penzeys Bay leaf seasoning (or Bay leaf)
½ lb Frozen small white onions thawed
½ lb Mushrooms caps only quartered
1 T Arrowroot
3 T Port

Simmer lardoons in water to cover for 10 minutes, drain, rinse in cold water, and dry. Sauté them in a 4 quart Dutch oven with two tablespoons olive oil. When they lightly brown, remove them to a side dish. Dry the onions on paper towel, and in a separate skillet salt them and brown them in two tablespoons of olive oil; simmering until time to add to pot. Wash and dry chicken pieces and brown them in the pot on all sides. Season with salt and pepper, and return all pieces with lardoons to pot, cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes turning chicken once. Uncover, ignite brandy, and pour over chicken. When flames go out pour wine into pot; whisk tomato paste, garlic, and herbs into stock and add to the chicken. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add onions to chicken recover and simmer 15 more minutes. Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in skillet in one tablespoon each butter and olive oil. Add to chicken, recover and simmer another 15 minutes. Remove all meat and vegetables to a warm platter (200 degree oven). Boil fluids down to two and one fourth cups. Combine arrowroot and Port, and add to fluid to thicken. Pour some of sauce over meat and vegetables, and serve the rest in a gravy boat.

Try it with fresh boiling onions. No need to blanch the salt pork - one loses the earthy character when one does. (Blanch bacon- if used- to cut the smoke.) Also, braising the onions before adding them in just at the end of cooking adds much flavor. Additionally, with a hearty dish like this I prefer a roux to the starch.

It's all in my most recent book.

Hey Chef,

You could include a whole chapter in your new book on the variations of Coq in this thread!

Cheers, Carl

Hey Chef,

You could include a whole chapter in your new book on the variations of Coq in this thread!

Cheers, Carl

I plan to have several variations on nearly all the classic chicken dishes.