Say what you like about the French, but when it comes to cooking, they have a few aces up their sleeve, and Chicken au Wine is certainly one of them. Featuring deliciously moist chicken on the bone, bathed in one of humanity’s greatest ever liquid creations, this dish combines meat and alcohol in a symphony of flavours. So, crack open a bottle of mediocre plonk, drink half of it, and donate the rest to the chickens, as you embark on a discovery of Deliciously French Coq Au Vin!
Coq Au Vin Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Deep Oven Dish
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Legs (With the Thigh On)
- 150g (5oz) Bacon
- 12 Shallots
- 100g (3½oz) Button Mushrooms
- 3 Cloves Garlic, crushed and chopped
- 50g (2oz) Plain Flour
- 50g (2oz) Unsalted Butter
- 600g (1 pint) Palatable Red Wine
- 30g (1oz) Balsamic Vinegar
- 300g (½ pint) Chicken Broth
- 2g (½tsp) Freshly ground black Pepper
- 6g (1½tsp) Thyme
- 3 Bay Leaves
- Salt
Instructions
- Chop the bacon into small pieces and fry on a medium heat with a little olive oil until golden brown and crispy. Then transfer onto a kitchen paper lined plate
- Drain any excess oil from the pan, and heat 50 grams of butter until it starts sizzling
- Fry the chicken legs skin side down until golden, then turn over and repeat on the other side. Depending on the size of the pan, you may need to do this in batches
- Once golden, transfer the chicken legs to a large oven dish, skin side up, and sprinkle over the fried bacon pieces
- Meanwhile, add the shallots to the pan previously used for the chicken and bacon (keeping the remaining grease and butter), and fry for 2 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add the mushrooms and fry until they are a beautiful golden colour
- Add 3 cloves of garlic, stir briefly, before adding 600 grams of palatable red wine, along with 300g of stock, 30 grams balsamic vinegar, 6 grams of thyme, 3 bay leaves and 2 grams of black pepper
- Mix 50 grams of plain flour with a small amount (50g) of cold water to make a paste, then add it to the broth and stir in (Never add flour directly to a hot liquid, it will clump together). Then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Taste the delicious liquid and add salt accordingly. The amount depends on the saltiness of the stock and the bacon used
- When the sauce has achieved a thick, creamy consistency, pour over the chicken and bacon in the deep oven dish
- Bake in the middle of a pre-heated oven at 200℃ (400°F, Fan 180°C, Gas Mark 6) for 30 minutes
- Serve with some form of potatoes and vegetables, with optional bread to mop up the sauce
Nutrition
Obligatory Coq Au Vin Notes for the Discerning Chef
Choosing your Chicken – This recipe calls for the use of whole chicken legs, but will work equally well with other parts of the bird. Why not try quartering a whole chicken and using the entire thing to make your deliciously French Coq Au Vin. Just remember, go find the best possible chicken available, not one of those anemic, flavourless birds of dubious origin.
Choosing your Wine – Traditionally, a Coq au Vin will call for a Pinot Noir from the Burgundy region of France, but really, anything palatable will work as long as it is not too heavy, and isn’t bitter. Thankfully the recipe doesn’t require the entire bottle, meaning there’s a little extra left over for ‘tasting’ purposes before committing. Don’t tell the French, but I’ve been using a cheap bottle of Casillero del Diablo Pinot Noir from Chile for my chicken au wine!
Pair it with a lovely dessert – According to my sources, the French love a good bit of chocolate when they have the excuse. So why not pop a few Chocolate Truffles while enjoying your after dinner mug of Brandy. Either that, or you could try making them angry by pairing it with a traditional British Apple and Blackberry Crumble, which will also go down nicely.
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