(Above: The sauce, with hints of brandy, white wine, and herbs blends well with the savory flavor of hot mashed potatoes.)
Coq au vin is traditionally made with red wine but I wasn’t in the mood for such a deep strong flavor. So I decided to make it using white wine and the results were perfect.
A few nights ago, I made a traditional beef bourguignon and followed that recipe, substituting bone-in chicken breasts and thighs for beef and white wine for red. I also used chicken stock, instead of beef.
The result was a light orange-colored sauce that had hints of brandy, white wine and gentle herbs. It went well with mashed potatoes.
Coq Au Vin Blanc
January 16, 2015
: Medium
Ingredients
- Salt, to taste
- 5 slices thick-cut smoked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 lb. crimini mushrooms, stems removed and cut into quarters (I used button mushrooms and portobello
- oyster mushrooms would be nice too.)
- 5 lbs (roughly), bone-in chicken breasts and thighs, cut up into large 2-inch chunks.
- 1 cup chicken broth, divided
- 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 lb. whole pearl onions, peeled
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 Tbs. tomato paste
- 1/3 cup brandy
- 3 cups chardonnay (or white burgundy)
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Bouquet garni, 1
Directions
- Step 1 Heat a 5 qt. cocotte over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate.
- Step 2 Add the mushrooms to the cocotte and cook until golden and just tender, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to the plate with the bacon.
- Step 3 Season the chicken generously with the salt and pepper. Over medium-high heat, warm the cocotte. Working in 3 batches, brown the chicken on all sides until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes per batch. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Step 4 After the last batch of chicken is browned, deglaze the cocotte with 1/2 cup chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Return all the chicken, bacon, and mushrooms to the cocotte. Add the flour, stir to coat evenly, and cook for 1 minute.
- Step 5 Add the carrots, pearl onions, garlic, and tomato paste to the cocotte. Add the brandy and simmer for 30 seconds. Add the wine, remaining chicken broth, and bouquet garni to the cocotte and increase the heat to medium-high, bringing the liquid to a boil.
- Step 6 Transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour. Check the stew and give it a stir. Continue cooking the stew, covered, until the chicken is fork-tender, about 30 minutes more. Taste the liquid and season with salt and pepper, if desired, and discard the bouquet garni.
- Step 7 Spoon the coq au vin into a shallow bowl. Serve with potatoes and garnish with parsley.
