French: Coq au Vin (Chicken Stewed in Red Wine)

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups red wine about ½ a bottle (Burgundy or Pinot Noir preferred)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6 boneless chicken thighs
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thick
• 1½ lbs baby potatoes (optional)
• ¼ pound sliced bacon
• 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup Cognac
• 2 teaspoons chicken base, divided
• 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered (baby bella preferred, or pearl oyster)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• Kitchen Bouquet (for color)
• chopped parsley for garnish

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, combine 3 cups of red wine, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, ground black pepper, salt; mix well
2. Place chicken in a 1-gallon zip lock bag
3. Add red wine marinade to bag, seal bag, toss and rotate bag to coat the chicken; refrigerate overnight (tip: place bag on a baking sheet to contain any potential leakage, rotate bag at least once)
4. When ready to cook the chicken, preheat oven to 375°
5. Boil sliced carrots in salted water for 5 minutes, drain and set aside
6. Reserve 2½ cups of the marinade from the bag and set aside for sauce
7. Place carrots and potatoes (optional), in a single layer, on bottom of a large baking dish
8. Arrange chicken, flat side down in a single layer, over carrots and bake uncovered for 30 minutes, remove from oven when the chicken is tender
9. While the chicken is baking, make the sauce in a large saucepan: cook the bacon until slightly crisp
10. Remove the bacon and cut into ½-inch chunks, set aside
11. In the same saucepan, add onions to the bacon grease and saute until soft
12. Add the butter and mushrooms, saute until mushrooms start to secrete their juices
13. Add the minced garlic, saute briefly (about 1 minute)
14. Slowly sprinkle in the flour a little at a time and cook under low heat stirring constantly for about 2 minutes (do not let the flour burn)
15. Add the cognac, 1 cup of the marinade, ½ the chicken base, mix thoroughly
16. Add more reserved marinade to thin the sauce (if needed)
17. Adjust seasoning: add salt, black pepper and more chicken base to taste (if needed)
18. Adjust color: add Kitchen Bouquet to darken the broth
19. Turn off heat, mix in the bacon chunks
20. When the chicken is done, reheat the sauce
21. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with chopped parsley

Note: This recipe will work with any part of a chicken or even cornish hens. If using cornish hens, try stuffing the cavity with seasoned mushrooms sauteed in butter, onions, garlic, celery, and herbs (i.e. sage, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper).