Chef Jaime's Coq Au Vin




Coq au vin

1 bottle of good Pinot Noir or a medium bodied red wine 
2 cups chicken stock 
4 sprigs fresh thyme 
4 (Parsley sprigs are optional) 
1 bay leaf 
5 slices thick cut bacon cut into strips
3 lbs chicken parts your choice( I like dark meat for this)
1 tsp pepper 
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided 
1 cup pearl onions (frozen is fine or fresh peeled) 
12 ounces fresh mushroom (your choice I’m using  oyster) 
1 cup chopped carrots 
1/2 cup chopped celery 
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour 
1 tablespoon tomato paste

This is a quick version of the classic recipe a more simple twist of sorts. 

Save a few tablespoons of that red wine to finish this dish in the end for flavor, along with some fresh thyme sprigs. 

1) Bring all but the three reserved tablespoons of  the wine, stock, and thyme sprigs with the bay leaf to a boil on your Viking range then down to a simmer until it’s reduced to 3-4 cups about 20-25 minutes and then remove the stems and bay leaf. (Keep warm) 

2) While that’s reducing cook your bacon slices in a Viking Dutch oven for about 5 minutes over medium heat until it’s crispy approx 7 minutes. Remove the bacon and set it aside (on paper towels) and remove all but two tablespoons of fat from your Dutch oven. 

3) Season your chicken with salt and pepper and heat up your Dutch oven pan with medium high heat and until slightly smoking and lightly brown your chicken parts about two minutes per side. You can remove the skin if you want but my old school ways tend to want to leave it on. As  it’s browned evenly you can put these parts on a plate to the side until you’re done with this process. 

4) In your now empty Dutch oven over medium to high heat melt 3 tablespoons of butter add your pearl onions and mushrooms, carrots and celery for about 6-8 minutes until they are lightly browned, sweating and becoming tender. Lower your flame to medium and add the garlic until you get that great garlic smell (less than a minute) now add your flour and tomato paste:cook, stirring frequently until it’s well combined less than a minute. Cool it out for a minute. 

5) Now add your reduced wine broth mixture and scrape up all the bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining pepper and return the chicken and any of its juices back into the dutch oven along with the bacon. Bring your Viking range flame up and get it to boil. Reduce it to a medium to low simmer and cover your pot. Let it cook until the chicken is cooked and tender approximately 25-30 minutes and stir it once during the process. 

6) Grab a slotted spoon and remove the chicken and place it into a bowl with a tin foil lid or a dish with a lid to trap the heat. Increase the heat a bit to create a nice simmer and reduce your sauce until it’s thick about 5 minutes or so. 

7) Heat is off now add in your remaining butter and wine stir taste it and adjust the flavor with salt if need be. Add your cooked chicken to the post and serve it immediately with some fresh thyme sprigs. 

This dish is lovely with egg noodles or mashed potatoes.