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–+ servings
coq au vin

Coq au Vin

Raymond Blanc
Coq au Vin (Rooster in wine) is classic French rustic cooking at its best.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Marinating Time 1 day
Total Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine 🇫🇷 French
Servings 4
Calories 812 kcal
How Difficult Average

Ingredients
 
 

For the chicken

  • 1.5 kg organic or free range chicken cut into 10 pieces (you could ask your butcher to do this)
  • 1 tbsp plain flour heaped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade

  • 1 litre full-bodied red wine such as Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 3 carrots medium, cut into slanted slices 1 cm (½ in) thick
  • 2 sticks celery cut into slices 1 cm (½ inch) thick
  • 20 baby onions peeled but left whole
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns crushed
  • 1 bouquet garni parsley stalks, 2 bay leaves and 6 sprigs of thyme, tied together

For the garnish

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 200 g smoked streaky bacon rind removed, diced
  • 400 g small button mushrooms trimmed
  • 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped

Instructions
 

To Make the Marinade:

  • Bring the red wine to the boil and reduce it by a third, to remove the alcohol and concentrate the colour and flavour.
  • Leave to cool.
  • In a bowl, mix the chicken pieces, carrots, celery, baby onions, peppercorns and bouquet garni together and pour the cooled red wine over them.
  • Cover with cling film, refrigerate and leave to marinate for 24 hours.

To Cook the Chicken:

  • Place a colander over a large bowl and put the chicken mixture in it to drain off the marinade.
  • Leave for a minimum of 1 hour to remove excess liquid.
  • Separate the chicken, vegetables and herbs, and pat dry with kitchen paper.
  • Season, the chicken with 4 pinches of salt and 4 pinches of freshly ground black pepper. Reserve the liquid.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
  • Sprinkle the flour on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 8–10 minutes, until it is very lightly coloured. Set aside.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2.
  • On a high heat, in a large, heavy-based casserole, heat the olive oil and colour the chicken pieces in it for 5–7 minutes on each side. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside.
  • Add the drained vegetables and herbs to the casserole.
  • Lower the heat to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes, until lightly coloured.
  • Spoon out most of the fat from the casserole, add the toasted flour and stir into the vegetables for a few seconds.
  • On a medium heat, whisk in the wine marinade little by little; this will create a sauce and prevent lumps from forming.
  • Bring to the boil and skim any impurities from the surface. The wine marinade will be slightly thickened and have the consistency of a light sauce.
  • Add the chicken pieces and return to a boil. Cover with a lid and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

To Make the Garnish:

  • Over a medium heat, in a medium non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil and cook the diced bacon in it for 30 seconds.
  • Add the button mushrooms and cook for a further 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Mix the diced bacon and button mushrooms into the coq au vin.
  • Sprinkle with the parsley and serve piping hot, straight from the casserole.

Notes

If you wish, you can serve the coq au vin as it is. But should you prefer a richer, more powerful sauce, drain it through a colander and, on a high heat, boil the sauce until it has reduced by one third. It should have acquired more body and become a rich, vinous colour. Then pour the sauce back over the chicken and vegetables.

Nutrition

Calories: 812kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 46gFat: 58gSaturated Fat: 16gFiber: 7gSugar: 11g
Keyword chicken, French, red wine
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