Topic: Home Environment
Coq au Vin is a rustic French bistro dish that fills the house with insanely beautiful aromas. If you follow a classic recipe, you probably won't have enough prep time to make it for a weekday meal. But, here are some tricks to get the same effect, while working with ingredients you likely have in your larder.
You'll need a covered heavy skillet—like this:
Then the modified recipe as follows:
Coq au Vin
In a large heavy skillet, brown 3 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2-3/4 inch strips.
Add 1 yellow onion, chopped and carmelized with the bacon.
(Chopped fresh mushrooms may be added also, if desired)
Meanwhile:
Flour 6-8 chicken thighs (skin-on and bone in) with flour which has been seasoned with seasoned salt and pepper.
Brown the chicken on all sides in the bacon and onion pan. Add additional olive oil if there is not enough oil from the bacon.
When browned, remove the chicken to a plate and add 1 generous cup of dry red wine to the skillet, loosening and de-glazing the bits of bacon and onion in the pan with a wooden or non-metal, heat stable spoon. Add more wine if needed so the chicken thighs when returned will be partially immersed in the liquid.
Replace the chicken thighs into the skillet.
Sprinkle Herbs de Provence dried herb blend liberally over the chicken.
Cover and cook on a low simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender- about 40 minutes.
Remove the cover from the skillet, and raise heat to "High" to boil and reduce the wine-based liquid by half or more, so that it is reduced to basically a glazing amount of liquid.
Plate with some petite potatoes and carrots, greens—and a little French bread to dip into the juices.
