Coq au Vin

Ingredients

• Chicken (Mostly removed from the bone; chicken pieces are returned to the sauce after simmering)
• 5 % Salt solution (Dissolve in water to make the brine)
• Water (Cold water, including the water used to make the brine)
• Black peppercorns (For the brine)
• Fresh thyme (For the brine and/or bouquet garni)
• Bay leaves (For the brine and/or bouquet garni)
• Chicken bones (Cut up and roasted before being added to the coq au vin)
• Flour (For lightly dusting the chicken before browning)
• Bacon (Cook separately, beginning over lower heat so its water content evaporates)
• Mushrooms (Cook separately over medium-high heat until about halfway cooked)
• Onions (Added after the mushrooms and lightly roasted)
• Shallots (Added with the carrots over lower heat)
• Carrots (Added with the shallots over lower heat)
• Garlic (Sweated with the vegetables for a couple of minutes)
• Cognac (Reduce by half)
• Pinot Noir (Red wine from Burgundy; added after the cognac reduction)
• Bouquet garni (Added to the cooking liquid)
• Chicken stock (Add enough to bring the mixture to a simmer; quantity was not stated)
• Chicken liver (Raw; blended into the strained sauce as the finishing ingredient)
• Parsley (Use a good amount as the final garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Dissolve the 5% salt solution in water. Add peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaves, then pour the mixture into the remaining cold water to make the brine.

2. 2

   Place the chicken in the brine and leave it for 4 hours.

3. 3

   Remove most of the chicken from the bones. Cut the bones into pieces, place them on a tray, and roast them. Give the brined chicken a quick rinse in cold water.

4. 4

   Lightly dust the chicken with flour. Brown it in a sauté pan, taking time to develop a light color on the underside and most of the color on the skin. Do not rush this caramelization stage.

5. 5

   Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the bacon over lower heat so its water content evaporates, then increase the heat to brown it.

6. 6

   Add the mushrooms and cook them over medium-high heat. Cook them separately from the bacon so the bacon does not under-caramelize and the mushrooms do not overcook.

7. 7

   When the mushrooms are about halfway cooked, add the onions and lightly roast them.

8. 8

   Add the shallots and carrots over lower heat. Allow the vegetables' water content to help lift the remaining flavorful browned material from the bottom of the pan.

9. 9

   Remove the roasted chicken bones from the oven and add them to the pan. Pour any fat from the roasting tray into the vegetables.

10. 10

    Add the garlic and sweat it with the vegetables for a couple of minutes.

11. 11

    Add the cognac and reduce it by half.

12. 12

    Add the Pinot Noir red wine. Add the bouquet garni and the roasted chicken bones.

13. 13

    Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture up to a simmer before adding the chicken back into the pan.

14. 14

    Return the chicken to the pan. Cover the surface with a cartouche so the sauce does not reduce too quickly before the chicken is fully cooked.

15. 15

    Simmer for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.

16. 16

    Turn off the heat and let the dish sit for a few minutes so the chicken can relax. Gently remove the chicken from the pan.

17. 17

    Return the sauce to higher heat and reduce it slightly until it thickens.

18. 18

    Once the sauce has reduced and the flavor is satisfactory, pass it through a fine strainer into a blender. Add the raw chicken liver and blend the sauce.

19. 19

    Return the chicken to the finished sauce and arrange the bacon, mushrooms, onions, and a good amount of parsley over the top.

Notes

The source does not provide quantities for most ingredients, the amount of water or stock, a roasting temperature, or a precise chicken quantity. It states that the chicken brines for 4 hours and the finished dish simmers for approximately 20–30 minutes. The chicken-liver finish is described as a classic French technique associated with Pierre Koffmann's book.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• French
• braised
• one-pan
• chicken
• wine-based
• bacon
• mushrooms