Coq Au Vin

Total Time: 5 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 lbs whole chickens
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• fine sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 slice smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 3 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and chopped
• 1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 bay leaf

Recipe

• 1 rinse chicken under cold water, removing giblets and neck, set aside.
• 2 cut up chicken: place chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board; using kitchen shears, cut along each side of back bone and remove back and ribs.
• 3 spread chicken open and cut through center of breastbone to separate into halves.
• 4 turn each half over, remove wings at joint attached to breast; separate leg and thigh from breast and cut apart.
• 5 place legs and breasts into the refrigerator.
• 6 place back, wings, and neck, if included, into a large saucepan with 4 cups of water; bring to a boil, over high heat.
• 7 reduce heat and simmer 2 hours, skimming any impurities that rise to the top.
• 8 strain stock, discarding any solids.
• 9 remove chicken pieces from the refrigerator and season with salt and pepper; dredge lightly in flour.
• 10 in a large dutch oven or saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; brown chicken pieces, in batches, on all sides; set aside.
• 11 drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pot; add bacon, if using, and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp.
• 12 add celery, carrot, onion, garlic, and mushrooms; cook until onions begin to caramelize, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• 13 meanwhile, heat wine in a separate medium saucepan until boiling; let reduce 4 minutes.
• 14 add 1 tablespoon flour and tomato paste to vegetable mixture, stir; add brandy to de-glaze pan.
• 15 return chicken pieces to pot, add in wine, 1 cup chicken stock (reserve remaining stock for another use), thyme, parsley, and bay leaf.
• 16 bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is tender and falling off the bone, about 2 hours.
• 17 remove chicken from pot and set aside; remove bacon, discard.
• 18 bring liquid in pot to a boil, then reduce liquid to a simmer, and reduce by half.
• 19 return chicken to pot, taste and season with salt and pepper; serve with egg noodles.