Coq au Vin
This classic Coq au Vin is full of great flavors! It's a wonderful French recipe to serve for any special occasion or for the Holidays!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. garlic salt, or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp. Herbes de Provence see Recipe
- 3 lbs. (1.36 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 4 tbsp. clarified butter or ghee, divided tips & tricks
- ground Himalayan sea salt, to taste, divided
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste and divided (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1/4 cup Cognac
- 3/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 cup dry red wine Footnote
- 2 cups basic brown sauce see Recipe
- 1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves (substitute ground thyme)
- 1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp. dried chervil leaves (substitute tarragon)
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. celery seeds
- 12 medium white pearl onions tips & tricks
- 12 small white button mushrooms, washed and stems removed
- 2 tbsp. dry red wine
- 1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, for garnish tips & tricks
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a bowl, combine flour, garlic salt and Herbes de Provence; whisk well.
- Transfer half of the flour mixture to a re-sealable plastic bag and add half of the chicken thighs. Close the bag and dredge the chicken until well coated. Shake each piece to remove any excess flour and place them on a large plate while doing the remaining chicken pieces.
- In a large ovenproof saucepan over medium heat, add 3 tbsp. clarified butter. When hot, add thighs and cook 8 minutes per side or until brown; season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Drizzle Cognac over and warm it up for 2 seconds before flambéing it. Let it burn until it goes out on its own.
- Add shallots and pressed garlic, sauté all the ingredients for 1 minute. Add 1 cup red wine and cook until the liquid reduces by half, deglazing the pan at the same time by scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits.
- Make a bouquet garni by mixing thyme, rosemary, chervil, basil, celery seeds and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Transfer the spices to a small sachet or a cheese cloth; tied up with kitchen twine.
- When the wine has reduced by half, add Basic Brown Sauce, the bouquet garni and season with more sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well, making sure the sachet is submerged and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer the saucepan to the preheated oven and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in another saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining 1 tbsp. clarified butter. When it gets hot, add pearl onions and sauté for 2 minutes, flipping often.
- To this, add mushrooms and sprinkle with ground sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper; cook for 2- 3 minutes. Pour in 2 tbsp. red wine and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated, about 2 more minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Remove the saucepan from the oven and add the onion/mushroom mixture. Stir well, cover and return the saucepan back to the oven; cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- When the time is up, remove from the heat and using tongs, remove the sachet of bouquet garni; discard it. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
Footnote: As unorthodox as it sounds, red wine can always be substituted with dry white wine.