Coq au Vin

Name: Coq au Vin
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean, French, European
Ingredients: 1 bacon slice, cut into 1-inch pieces; 4 bay leaves; 1 teaspoons black pepper, divided; 118 milliliters Calvados (apple brandy) or brandy; 750 milliliters hearty dry red wine (Pinot Noir or Burgundy); 946 milliliters fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided; 3 Tbsps all-purpose flour; 2 garlic cloves, halved; 2 larges leeks; 680 grams packages mushrooms, stemmed; 12 parsley stems; 2 kilograms roasting chicken; 1 teaspoons kosher or sea salt, divided; 12 thyme sprigs; 3 Tbsps unsalted butter, divided

You can never have too many main course recipes, so give Coq au Vin A mixture of thyme sprigs, flour, sea salt, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so scrumptious. To use up the dry red wine you could follow this main course with the Pinot Noir Brownies as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 45 minutes.

Instructions

To make the bouquet garni, remove and reserve 8 leek leaves; remove white portion of leek leaves (reserve remaining leaves for another use). Flatten leek leaves.

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Bouquet Garni

Leek

Place 3 thyme sprigs, 3 parsley sprigs, and 1 bay leaf lengthwise in each of 4 leek leaves. Top each filled leaf with one of the remaining leek leaves. Tie with string at 2-inch intervals.

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Fresh Thyme

Bay Leaves

Parsley

Leek

Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat.

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Whole Chicken

Water

Remove and reserve giblets; discard neck.

Remove skin; cut chicken into quarters. Mince giblets; set aside.

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Whole Chicken

Ground Meat

Sprinkle chicken pieces with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

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Chicken Pieces

Pepper

Salt

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.

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Butter

Equipment you will use

Dutch Oven

Add chicken to pan; cook 10 minutes, browning on all sides.

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Whole Chicken

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Remove from pan.

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Frying Pan

Add bacon; cook until crisp. Return chicken to pan.

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Whole Chicken

Bacon

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add bouquet garni, giblets, Calvados, 2cups broth, wine, and garlic; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Ingredients you will need

Bouquet Garni

Calvados

Garlic

Broth

Wine

Remove chicken from wine mixture; cover and refrigerate. Cover and chill wine mixture 8 to 24 hours. Discard bouquet garni. Skim solidified fat from surface; discard.

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Bouquet Garni

Whole Chicken

Wine

Combine mushrooms and 2 cups broth in a large nonstick skillet; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 10 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.

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Mushrooms

Broth

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Frying Pan

Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

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Pepper

Salt

Bring wine mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

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Wine

Combine 2 tablespoons butter and flour in a small bowl; work into a paste with fingers or a fork.

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Butter

All Purpose Flour

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Bowl

Add 1/4 cup wine mixture, stirring with a whisk until well-blended.

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Wine

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Whisk

Add butter mixture to wine mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Return chicken and mushrooms to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

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Mushrooms

Whole Chicken

Butter

Wine

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Wine Note: The quintessential French comfort food, Coq au Vin is traditionally served with a red Burgundy. An exemplary choice would be a sublime, earthy wine like Domaine de l'Arlot Nuits-St.- Georges Clos des Frets Premier Cur ($50). But a more hearty Rhne wine such as Domaine Santa Duc Ctes-du-rhne ($9

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Wine

would be nearly as good, and its price is a little more in keeping with the accessibility of the dish.