Classic French chicken with onion, mushroom and bacon in wine
Author:TJ
Yield:4-8 1x
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Marinade
8 pieces of chicken, 4 legs and 4 thighs
(1) 750 ml bottle of Burgundy or Pinot Noir
1 large yellow onion – 1/4″ slices
2 celery ribs – 1/4″ slices
1 large carrot – peeled and sliced
2 TBL olive oil
1 large garlic clove – smashed
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
For the Coq au Vin
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
4 TBL olive oil – divided
1/2 lb slab bacon – sliced into 2” pieces
3 garlic cloves – minced
Sea salt – to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3 TBL AP flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth – brown broth if available
16 pearl onions – peeled
1 lb small cremini mushrooms – halved
2 TBLĀ parsley – chopped
8 sprigs parsley for garnish
Instructions
Marinating the Chicken
Combine the wine, onion, celery, carrot, garlic and peppercorns in a large pot
Bring to a boil on high heat then reduce to medium and simmer for 5 minutes
Cool completely then mix in the olive oil
Pat the legs and thighs dry then place them in a large glass bowl. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken and gently turn or stir to ensure the chicken is well coated
Cover and refrigerate for 1 day, turning the chicken once or twice to thoroughly marinate
Finishing the Coq au Vin
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Tie the parsley stems, bay leaves and thyme together in cheesecloth and set aside
Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on paper towels to drain
Strain the marinade. Reserve the liquid and vegetables separately
Heat a dutch oven over medium heat and saute the bacon until crisp and browned 5-6 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towels
Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper
Add 1 TBL of oil to the bacon grease and increase heat to medium high. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides about 6-8 minutes per batch. Set the chicken aside
Add another TBL of oil to the pan and add the celery, carrot, onion, peppercorns and garlic. Saute until softened, 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables evenly
Stir in the wine and chicken broth, bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook until sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes
Remove from heat. Add chicken pieces and the herb bundle, nestling them into the vegetables
Cover the dutch oven and bake in the oven until tender, about 1-1/4 hours
While the chicken is cooking, heat 1 TBL olive oil in a large skillet and saute the pearl onions about 8-10 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and pepper and set aside with the bacon.
Heat the remaining TBL of olive oil in the skillet and saute the mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside with the bacon and onions.
Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven – it will be heavy and hot!
Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Strain the sauce, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce if necessary
Gently combine the sauce, bacon, onions and mushrooms, then pour over the chicken. Gently fold with a spatula to fully coat each piece of chicken.
Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to thoroughly meld
Serving the following day
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees
Gently return the chicken and sauce to your dutch oven
Reheat at 225 degrees for 2 hours then remove and finish on your stove top on low heat until ready to serve
Plate over brown butter egg noodles and garnish with fresh sprig of parsley