Coq Au Vin (chicken Red Wine)

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 9 chicken legs
• 9 chicken thighs
• 2 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 leek, part only, thinly sliced
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorn, tied in cheesecloth
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 5 cups veal demi-glace (concentrate available from whole foods market and williams-sonoma, organic chicken stock can be subs)
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 8 cups red wine (preferably zinfandel)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 24 -30 pearl onions, peeled (about 8 ounces)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces thick slab bacon, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cut into 1/2 inch wide slices
• 4 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
• 6 sprigs thyme or 6 sprigs rosemary

Recipe

• 1 put chicken, carrots, celery, onion, leek, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a large pot and cover completely with 5 cups of wine.
• 2 marinate in the refridgerator for 48 hours, turning the chicken occasionally.
• 3 strain the vegetables and chicken from the wine, and separate them into two bowls.
• 4 reserve the marinade.
• 5 pat the chicken dry and season wih salt and pepper.
• 6 allow the vegetables to drain and dry off.
• 7 heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large saute pan over high heat until lightly smoking.
• 8 add the chicken, skin down, in batches to avoid overcrowding, and brown on all sides.
• 9 transfer the chicken to a large saucepan or casserole.
• 10 heat the remaining oil in the saute pan, add vegetables, and saute over medium heat until they start to brown, about 15 minutes.
• 11 add the vegetables to the chicken pieces.
• 12 meanwhile, put the reserved marinade in a saucepan and reduce by half.
• 13 add the remaining wine and the demi-glace to the saucepan and bring to a low simmer.
• 14 pour over the chicken, set the casserole over medium heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• 15 strain the chicken and vegetables from the liquid, discarding the vegetables, and keep the chicken warm.
• 16 return the sauce to the casserole and cook over medium heat until it is reduced by about two thirds and has thickened (it should coat the back of a wooden spoon).
• 17 whisk in the softened butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 18 when ready to serve, return the chicken to the sauce and bring to a low simmer.
• 19 transfer the coq au vin to a large serving platter and garnish with the pearl onions, bacon, mushrooms, and sprigs of thyme or rosemary.
• 20 serve with mashed potatoes.
• 21 garnish: preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• 22 in a medium oven proof saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil until lightly smoking, add the onions, and saute until lightly brown.
• 23 add the chicken stock, cover the pan with foil, and cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until the onions are tender when tested with the point of a knife.
• 24 heat 1 tablespoon oil in another saute pan and cook the bacon until it's just golden brown; do not let it become crisp.
• 25 transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
• 26 heat the remaining oil in the same pan until lightly smoking, then add the mushrooms and saute until soft.
• 27 season with salt and pepper and set aside.