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Coq au Vin

Ingredients

  • ~6 - 8 Ounces thick-cut bacon (~5 slices), chopped medium
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • ~8 ounces (2 cups) fresh pearl onions (red, ideally), frozen works too
  • Salt + Pepper
  • ~10 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
  • 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 medium carrots, cut thin
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • flour
  • 1 bottle of red wine medium bodied (ex. syrah, grenache)
  • 1oz cognac or brandy
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
  • 3-4 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Egg noodles or polenta or rice, your choice

Steps

Prep the Chicken

  • Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper and coat both sides with flour.

Cook the Bacon

  • Fry the bacon over medium head, 5-7 minutes until crispy. Transfer bacon to a bowl, leaving fat in the pot. If there's a more then ~2 tablespoons, remove excess fat.

Cook the Chicken

  • Return pot with bacon fat to medium heat and brown chicken (really brown and crisp) both sides, 5-7 minutes per side. Work in batches and don't crowd the pan. Transfer chicken to a plate. Repeat for remaining chicken.

Cook the Veggies

  • Add onions, mushrooms, carrots and a pinch of salt to the pot, stirring
  • Add 1/4 cup broth and cognac, deglazing the pan and stirring occasionally until lighty browned, about 10+ minutes.
  • Stir in the minced thyme and cook for ~1 minute until fragrant
  • Stir in the garlic and cook for ~1 minute until fragrant, if things are sticking add a splah of broth or cognac
  • Stir in the tomato paste stir until fragrant (~30 seconds)
  • Add 3 tablespoons of flour and cook for 1 minute, until it's mixed and there isn't any liquid left.

Make Magic

  • Add 3/4 bottle of the wine, remaining chicken broth, bacon, sprigs of thyme and bay leaves, deglazing the pan (scrapping up the browned bits)
  • Nestle the chicken back in pot and bring to a simmer reducing slightly for ~10 minutes
  • Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, simmering for 25 minutes

Finishing it up

  • Remove the lid, bring the temperature back up to a simmer, add salt to taste
  • Reduce and thicken the coq au vin for ~15-20 minutes, while you make the egg noodles (or polenta, or other?). It should be gravy like.
  • Remove bay leaves and sprigs of thyme
  • When just about done, add the remaining wine and butter, stirring to full integrate it.
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