Coq au Vin
A complex, savoury and rich stew of braised chicken in red wine!
Equipment
- Cast iron pot
- Shallow frying pan
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Wooden spoon
- whisk
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut into sections or
- 4 whole chicken legs
- 300 g pancetta or lardons
- 1 bottle of red wine
- 4 garlic
- 1 large shallots
- 1 onion
- 4-6 carrots
- 500 g chestnut mushrooms
- 400 ml chicken stock
- ½ cup cognac or brandy optional
- 30 g unsalted butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bouquet garni
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper and a little cayenne pepper if you want a little spice. Chop the mushrooms into 4 pieces and the carrots into slanted quarters. Dice the shallots and onions and set all vegetables aside into separate bowls ready for use later.
- Next heat your cast iron pot on medium high for about 5 minutes and then add the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces skin side down into the pan - careful not to overcrowd the pot. Cook in batches if your pot is not big enough to cook all at once.
- Leave the chicken to fry for about 3-5 minutes on one side until browned and crisp. Then turn over and repeat the same process on the other side before removing from the pan and setting aside on a plate to collect those juices.
- Now scrape any really burnt bits from the pot and add a little oil if needed before adding the pancetta or lardons to fry. Fry these until the fat has almost completely rendered and then turn off the heat and remove to the same plate as the chicken.
- Now place your pot back on the heat and fry the onions, shallots and garlic in the pancetta fat left behind. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant and translucent. Add the garlic a minute or 2 after the onions as garlic tends to cook a lot faster.
- Now add half of the carrots and mushrooms to the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes. Then add the cognac or brandy and deglaze your pan using your wooden spoon to remove all that stuck on flavour from the bottom of your pot. This process should take about 5 minutes.
- Next you can pour in your wine, stock, seasonings and bouquet garni and stir. Now place your chicken pieces back into the pot using your tongs. Also add the cooked pancetta and any juices that have collected on the plate. Cover the pot and leave on high to come to the boil.
- After about 5-7 minutes your stew should be boiling. Lift the lid stir a little and turn the heat down to low. Set a timer for 1 hour and leave to cook with the lid on.
- After one hour check your stew it should be coming along nicely and starting to thicken up and change colour. At this stage add the remaining carrots and recover and leave for another 30-45 minutes. This will depend on your pot and the type of chicken you used.
- In the meantime heat some butter in your frying pan and add the remaining mushrooms and fry on high. Allow to cook untouched for about 3-4 minutes before turning. Sauté the other side of the mushrooms until they have a nice rich dark colour and are crisping up slightly. Then turn off the heat and set aside.
- Now get your flour and butter and combine together in a bowl using a spatula and set aside.
- After 30 minutes check your chicken and try the sauce if the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened and taste amazing then you are ready for the final steps.
- Remove the chicken from the pan using tongs and set aside to a plate. Turn the heat up to high and add the buerre manié and use the whisk to continuously whisk until the mixture has completely dissolved. Now leave the sauce to reduce slightly - about 5 minutes.
- Finally, add the sautéed mushrooms stir and add the chicken pieces back into the pot cover and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes on medium and your Coq au Vin is finally ready - enjoy!
Notes
Sometimes I like to finish my Coq au Vin off under the grill. Once you have returned the chicken to the pot and added the sautéed mushrooms, leave the lid off and add to the top shelf of a pre-heated grill and leave for 5-10 minutes - check after 5 minutes. This will give the tops of the chicken a nice crisp skin and crisp up some of your carrots and mushrooms.