Coq au Vin | French Classic in Red Wine

Preparation

• 1
  Wash the chicken, pat dry, and cut into 8 pieces (or use pre-cut chicken). Season with salt.
• 2
  Cut the streaky bacon into cubes of about 1 cm. Clean carrots, onions, and celery stalks and cut into coarse pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
• 3
  Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven and render the bacon cubes until crispy over medium heat. Remove the bacon and set aside.
• 4
  Brown the chicken pieces on all sides in the remaining fat in the Dutch oven. Remove and also set aside.
• 5
  Add the prepared vegetables (carrots, onions, celery) to the Dutch oven and roast for about 5 minutes until lightly colored. Briefly sauté the garlic with them.
• 6
  Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and sauté briefly.
• 7
  Deglaze with the cognac and (optionally) carefully flambé or reduce briefly.
• 8
  Return the chicken pieces and bacon to the Dutch oven.
• 9
  Pour in the red wine and chicken broth until the meat is almost completely covered.
• 10
  Add peppercorns, allspice, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs.
• 11
  Cover the Dutch oven and simmer gently over low heat for about 60–75 minutes until the meat is tender.
• 12
  Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms and halve or quarter them depending on their size.
• 13
  Heat some butter in a pan and fry the mushrooms until golden brown. Lightly salt.
• 14
  Once the chicken is cooked, remove the meat pieces from the sauce and keep warm.
• 15
  Pour the sauce through a fine sieve into a clean pot, lightly pressing the vegetables.
• 16
  Reduce the sauce over high heat until it reaches the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
• 17
  Stir the remaining cold butter in small flakes into the sauce (mount) to give it shine and bind it.
• 18
  Return the meat and fried mushrooms to the sauce, heat briefly, and serve. Serve with baguette, boiled potatoes, or tagliatelle.