This dish is delicious on its own, served over noodles or with mashed potatoes. I remember the first time I had Coq Au Vin at a restaurant – it was love at first bite! And the start of a lifetime love affair with the dish. My recipe has evolved many times over the years, but I try to stay true to the classic method I was taught in school. This dish is unbelievably delicious with so much depth of flavor. I like to think of this Coq Au Vin as the Queen of chicken stews. It takes some time to cook, but it can easily be made ahead of time and reheated before serving. It’s a dish that’s sure to impress anyone you serve it to. To make the brine, place the breasts in a large bowl with two quarts (8 cups) of cold water mixed with 1/3 cup kosher or sea salt (not table salt). Cover and put in the refrigerator for 1-8 hours. Just be sure to dry the chicken well and allow to come to room temperature before cooking. Instead of using frozen pearl onions, use fresh baby or peal onions by sauteing them in butter until caramelized and add them to the pan at the same time as the browned chicken. They can be a little firm. They’ll finish cooking in the stew!
How To Make Coq Au Vin
Pat chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season well with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the bacon and cook until crispy.
Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Add the chicken to the pan skin-side down. Sear for undisturbed for 4 minutes. Then check to see if the skin is crispy and browned. If so, flip and repeat on the other side (if not allow another minute or two and flip when browned).
Transfer chicken a plate and set aside.
Add the onions and carrots to the pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally, until the onions are transparent and lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste until it is fragrant and begins to darken. Pour in the brandy and wine scraping the bottom to remove any stuck-on bits. Allow reducing by half.
Pour in chicken stock; stir to combine. Add the bacon back to the pan with the chicken, and any juices leftover from the plate back into the pot with the bay leaves.
Cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and browned.
Mash butter with the flour and stir into the pot (the heat will cook any lumps out). Add the pearl onions and the mushrooms.
Bring to a simmer and cook for a further 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
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