Coq au Vin #1

Ingredients

• 8 oz sliced bacon
• 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 shallots, sliced
• ½ large yellow onion, diced, traditionally they use pearl onions
• 10 large button mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tsp butter
• 2 tsp flour
• 1½ C red wine
• 1 C chicken broth
• 6 springs thyme

Instructions

1. Braise for about 1 hour 375, or until the thighs are tender

Coq au Vin #2

Ingredients

• 24 –30 pearl onions
• 4 chicken thighs and legs, or 1 5-7 lb stewing chicken, cut into serving pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ –½ C all-purpose flour
• 2 Tb water
• 6 oz salt pork, slab bacon, or lardon, cubed
• 8 oz button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 Tb unsalted butter
• 1500 ml red wine, 2 750 bottles, preferably pinot noir
• 2 Tb tomato paste
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 2 stalks celery, quartered
• 2 medium carrots, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 –8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 C chicken stock or broth

Instructions

Step 1

1. Cut off the root end of each pearl onion and make an "x" with your knife in its place.
2. Bring 2-3 C of water to a boil and drop in the onions for 1 minute.
3. Remove the onions from the pot, allow them to cool, and then peel. You should be able to slide the onions right out of their skin. Set aside.
4. Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Place the chicken pieces, a few at a time, into a large 1-2 gal sealable plastic bag along with the flour
6. Shake to coat all of the pieces of the chicken.
7. Remove the chicken from the bag to a metal rack.
8. Add the 2 Tb of water to a large, 12" saute pan over medium heat along with the salt pork.
9. Cover and cook until the water is gone, and then continue to cook until the salt pork cubes are golden brown and crispy, approximately 8-10 minutes.
10. Remove the salt pork from the pan and set aside.

Step 2

1. In the same pan, using the remaining fat, add the pearl onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until lightly brown, approximately 8-10 minutes.
2. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside
3. Next, brown the chicken pieces on each side until golden brown, working in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan.
4. Transfer the chicken into a 7-8 qt enameled cast iron Dutch oven.
5. Add the mushrooms to the same 12" saute pan, adding the 1 Tb of butter if needed, and saute until they give up their liquid, approximately 5 minutes.
6. Store the onions, mushrooms and pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
7. Pour off any remaining fat and deglaze the pan with approximately 1 C of the wine.
8. Pour this into the Dutch oven along with the chicken stock, tomato paste, quartered onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf.
9. Add all of the remaining wine
10. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Step 3

1. The next day, preheat the oven to 325F.
2. Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 2-2½ hours, or until the chicken is tender.
3. Maintain a very gentle simmer and stir occasionally.
4. Once the chicken is done, remove it to a heatproof container, cover, and place it in the oven to keep warm.
5. Strain the sauce in a colander and remove the carrots, onion, celery, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf.
6. Return the sauce to the pot, place over medium heat, and reduce by ⅓
7. Depending on how much liquid you actually began with, this should take 20-45 minutes.
8. Once the sauce has thickened, add the pearl onions, mushrooms, and pork and cook for another 15 minutes or until the heated through.
9. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, remove from the heat, add the chicken and serve.
10. Serve over egg noodles, if desired.