the classic Coq Au Vin

by Clayton
(USA)

My favourite recipe with wine is the classic Coq Au Vin. I prefer to do a simpler version than the traditional French recipe, which cuts out the number of steps involved. Simply soak the uncooked chicken in a bottle of red wine overnight with some fresh rosemary, thyme and a bay leaf. Then drain the chicken (reserving the wine) and pan-fry in hot olive oil to seal in the juices. Transfer to a casserole dish. Next fry shallots and garlic in the same pan and add some sliced carrots and celery. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the vegetables to the casserole dish. Heat the wine in a saucepan with one cup of water until the alcohol evaporates and then mix in a tablespoon of corn flour, a chicken stock cube and a knob of butter. Pour this mixture over the chicken and vegetables and then thrown in a handful of button mushrooms. Season well. Cover the casserole dish with a lid or foil and place in a pre-heated oven (Gas Mark 4/180 degrees centigrade/350 degrees Fahrenheit). Leave to cook for 1 hour 30 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes and broccoli. Fresh homemade dinner rolls are a bonus.


Ingredients to serve 4: 1 large chicken, jointed into 8 pieces 1 tablespoon of olive oil 1 bottle of good quality red wine 1 bay leaf 4 sprigs of fresh thyme or a teaspoon of dried thyme 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary or a teaspoon of dried rosemary 20 shallots 2 cloves of garlic 1 large carrot 1 stick of celery 1 tablespoon of corn flour 1 chicken stock cube 1 cup of water 1 knob of butter 400g of button mushrooms

oh and one extra bottle of good red wine to drink with the Coq Au Vin :-)