Coq au Vin

Stewed hens in a potGeorgeanne Brennan, Special to The Chronicle

Sunday, October 4, 2009



Coq au Vin
Serves 5 to 6

Since this classic dish comes from Burgundy, the wine used is traditionally a red burgundy, but a Zinfandel, which is what I use in California, works deliciously. At a traditional farmhouses, the old rooster - the coq - is used and the cooking time is much longer. I always want to skip the pearl onions that are part of the ingredients because they are tedious to prepare, but when I am eating the finished product, I am always glad I didn't omit them. Serve this with plain boiled potatoes or papardelle and lots of bread to soak up the unctuous, dark sauce.

•4 strips bacon, cut into pieces 1-inch wide
•12 pearl onions
•4 tablespoons butter
•1 chicken, about 4 to 5 pounds, cut into serving pieces
•1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
•2 tablespoons brandy
•1 bottle red burgundy or other full-bodied red wine
•3 fresh thyme sprigs
•3 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
•2 fresh or 1 dried bay leaf
•1 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
•1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•1/2 pound white mushrooms, whole if small, halved or quartered if large
Instructions: Place the bacon pieces in a saucepan, cover with 2 or 3 inches of water, and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain, then rinse the bacon under cold water and pat dry.

Fill a saucepan three-fourths full with water and bring to a boil. Add the pearl onions and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, let cool a bit, then cut off the root ends, slip off the skins, and trim off the stems, if you like.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan with a lid. When it foams, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the bacon and onions, and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon and onions to a plate, leaving the remaining butter in the pan.

Add the chicken pieces to the pan and raise the heat to medium. Cook, turning as needed, until the chicken begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and, turning from time to time, cook until the chicken and the flour are browned, about 5 minutes.

Pour the brandy over the chicken, carefully ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol, and let the flames subside. Return the bacon and onions to the pan. Pour in a little of the wine, turn the heat to high and cook until the liquid nearly evaporates, using a wooden spoon to dislodge any bits of food clinging to the bottom of the pan.

Pour in the remaining wine and add the thyme, parsley, bay leaf, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and begins to pull away from the bones, about 45 to 60 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When it foams, add the mushrooms and saute until just lightly golden, 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

About 15 minutes before the chicken is done, add the mushrooms to the chicken.

When the chicken is finished cooking, use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken, onions, mushrooms, herb sprigs and bacon to a bowl. Skim off and discard the fat from the pan juices. Increase the heat to high and boil until the liquid is decreased by nearly half and has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Return the chicken, onions and mushrooms to the pan (and the bacon, if you wish). Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, until heated through, 3-4 minutes.

Transfer to a warmed serving dish or serve directly from the pan.

Per serving: 300 calories, 6 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat (8 g saturated), 40 mg cholesterol, 177 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Wine pairing: Pour a Pinot Noir to keep with tradition. Otherwise serve a wine similar to what's used in the braising liquid (a good general rule of thumb). Try a Zinfandel like the 2006 Kunde Sonoma Valley Zinfandel ($18).



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/04/FD0819QI9U.DTL#recipe1#ixzz0TP46qoK1