Coq Au Vin With Plump Prunes Food

30-MINUTE COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• Put the bacon into an unheated large, high-sided skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring periodically, until the bacon is browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a small bowl with a slotted spoon; set aside.
• Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens a little, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, wine, onions, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and more pepper. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until thickened, about 4 minutes.
• Turn the heat down to medium, and whisk in the butter a little at a time. If the sauce tastes a little too acidic, add the sugar. Nestle the chicken and cooked bacon into the sauce, and simmer gently until the chicken is heated through, 6 to 7 minutes. (This could take up to 10 minutes if the chicken is cold, or as little as 3 minutes if it is warm.) Spoon the sauce over the chicken pieces periodically to coat completely. Toss the chicken in the sauce, remove the thyme stems, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• Cut off the root end of each pearl onion and make an "x" with your knife in its place. Bring 2 to 3 cups of water to a boil and drop in the onions for 1 minute. Remove the onions from the pot, allow them to cool, and then peel. You should be able to slide the onions right out of their skin. Set aside.
• Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the chicken pieces, a few at a time, into a large (1 or 2-gallon) sealable plastic bag along with the flour. Shake to coat all of the pieces of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the bag to a metal rack.
• Add the 2 tablespoons of water to a large, 12-inch saute pan over medium heat along with the salt pork. Cover and cook until the water is gone, and then continue to cook until the salt pork cubes are golden brown and crispy, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the salt pork from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pan, using the remaining fat, add the pearl onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until lightly brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside. Next, brown the chicken pieces on each side until golden brown, working in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan. Transfer the chicken into a 7 to 8-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven.
• Add the mushrooms to the same 12-inch saute pan, adding the 1 tablespoon of butter if needed, and saute until they give up their liquid, approximately 5 minutes. Store the onions, mushrooms and pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Pour off any remaining fat and deglaze the pan with approximately 1 cup of the wine. Pour this into the Dutch oven along with the chicken stock, tomato paste, quartered onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Add all of the remaining wine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Maintain a very gentle simmer and stir occasionally.
• Once the chicken is done, remove it to a heatproof container, cover, and place it in the oven to keep warm. Strain the sauce in a colander and remove the carrots, onion, celery, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Return the sauce to the pot, place over medium heat, and reduce by 1/3. Depending on how much liquid you actually began with, this should take 20 to 45 minutes.
• Once the sauce has thickened, add the pearl onions, mushrooms, and pork and cook for another 15 minutes or until the heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, remove from the heat, add the chicken and serve. Serve over egg noodles, if desired.
• Cook¿s Note: If the sauce is not thick enough at the end of reducing, you may add a mixture of equal parts butter and flour kneaded together. Start with 1 tablespoon of each. Whisk this into the sauce for 4 to 5 minutes and repeat, if necessary.

CHEF JOHN'S COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Season chicken thighs all over with salt and black pepper.
• Place bacon in a large, oven-proof skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate, leaving drippings in the skillet.
• Increase heat to high and place chicken, skin-side down, into skillet. Cook in hot skillet until browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate; drain and discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings from the skillet.
• Lower heat to medium-high; saute mushrooms, onion, and shallots with a pinch of salt in the hot skillet until golden and caramelized, 7 to 12 minutes.
• Stir flour and butter into vegetable mixture until completely incorporated, about 1 minute.
• Pour red wine into the skillet and bring to a boil while scraping browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir bacon and thyme into red wine mixture; simmer until wine is about 1/3 reduced, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour chicken broth into wine mixture and set chicken thighs into skillet; bring wine and stock to a simmer.
• Cook chicken in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Spoon pan juices over the chicken and continue cooking until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken to a platter.
• Place skillet over high heat and reduce pan juices, skimming fat off the top as necessary, until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; remove and discard thyme. Pour sauce over chicken.

AUTHENTIC COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large, heavy stockpot over medium heat. When the butter is hot, brown the rooster on all sides, doing so in two batches if necessary. Standing back and making sure your hair is tied back and your clothes are not over the heat, add the liqueur, then flame it by lighting a match and holding it just above the pot. The liqueur will catch fire and flames will leap into the air and burn out within 1 minute.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and add the bacon. Brown it on all sides. While the bacon is browning, mince the ham with the liver and the gizzard. When the bacon is browned, add the chicken back to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Pour the wine over all. Stir in the ham and the giblets, add the bouquet garni and the garlic, and pour in just enough chicken stock to cover the chicken. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat so it is simmering, cover and cook until the chicken is tender but not falling from the bone (1-1/2 hours for a rooster; about 1 hour for chicken).
• Make the garnish:
• While the rooster is cooking, heat the butter for the mushrooms over medium heat. When it is foaming, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are tender and their juices have evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Season lightly, remove from the heat and reserve.
• Make the sauce:
• Blend the butter and flour in a small bowl to a homogeneous paste. When the chicken is cooked, about 1/4 cup of the cooking juices into the flour and butter mixture, then pour that mixture into the pan holding the chicken. Stir it in and let it cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened. Taste for seasoning and remove from the heat. Let the dish sit at least 8 hours, or overnight, before serving.

COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.
• Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.
• Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.

COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• Reduce wine: In a large saucepan, add the wines. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, at a very low temperature, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the fridge, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, break down the chicken: First, slice away the leg and thigh from each side, including the "oysters" (the small, round pieces of meat nestled on each side of the backbone). Next, find the joint between the leg and thigh; slice through the joint and cut the leg and thigh into separate pieces. Chop off the cartilaginous ends of the drumsticks and discard. Trim the tips of the wings, then cut down either side of the backbone and remove. Discard the wingtips and backbone, or save for stock. Lay the knife along the center of the breastbone; whack the back of the knife with your free hand to split, then slice the breasts into two pieces. Cut each breast in half crosswise, for a total of 8 pieces. Marinate chicken: Transfer chicken pieces to a large bowl or container; add the reduced wine. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 6 hours and up to overnight.
• After at least 6 hours of marinating, brown the chicken: Preheat oven to 325 F. Remove chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Pat chicken dry with paper towels; then season with salt and pepper and lightly dredge in flour. In large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. When butter is foamy, add chicken, skin side down, in an even layer; then distribute 1 more tablespoon of butter around the pot. Turn heat to high and sear for 3-4 minutes. When the skin is nicely seared, sprinkle additional flour over the chicken to aid browning, and add 2 more tablespoons of butter. Use a meat fork to flip the chicken and sear for another 3-4 minutes on the second side.
• Sweat vegetables: In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Meanwhile, cut celery into 1-inch pieces on a bias; cut any large cloves of garlic in half; cut carrots into rough 1-inch pieces. When butter is foamy, add celery, mushrooms, garlic, carrots, and pearl onions; sweat, tossing occasionally, 2 minutes. Meanwhile, cut bacon into ½-inch thick chunks; add to skillet and toss to combine. Stir tomato paste into the vegetables, then season with a pinch of salt and several grinds of white pepper.
• Braise: Add 1 cup of red wine marinade to the vegetables; pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. Gently shake the pot to ensure the chicken is not sticking. Allow vegetables to absorb the wine for 1 minute; then stir and add to the chicken. Make a spice and herb sachet: Place cracked white pepper, coriander seed, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf in the middle of a square of cheesecloth. Make a bundle, tie with twine, and trim the excess cheesecloth; place sachet into the pot. Bring to a simmer; then place in the oven, uncovered, and braise for 30 minutes. (Total braising time will be 50 minutes.)
• After 30 minutes, remove Coq au Vin from oven. Remove and set aside the 4 breast pieces. (Optional: Remove bones for easier eating.) Leave the leg and thigh pieces, as they take longer to cook. Add warm chicken stock; then return pot to oven to continue braising until the meat is tender, 10-20 more minutes.
• Use tongs and a spider strainer to pull chicken pieces from the pot, leaving the sauce behind; arrange on a serving platter. Remove and discard sachet. Next, remove vegetables and bacon from the pot, leaving only the sauce behind, and arrange around the chicken. Reduce sauce: Place a chinois or fine-mesh strainer over a large saucepan; strain the sauce into it, pressing it through with the back of a ladle to extract all the liquid. Bring sauce a boil over high heat; then reduce heat to medium and simmer to reduce by ⅓, 6-8 minutes. As the sauce simmers, use a spoon or ladle to gently skim off any fat or impurities that rise to the top. When sauce has nearly finished reducing, season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix cornstarch and water to make a slurry; add to the sauce to thicken and whisk well to combine. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
• Spoon sauce over Coq au Vin. Garnish with parsley and serve. (Serve Coq au Vin with rice, polenta, potatoes, or gnocchi.)

COQ AU VIN

Steps:

• Season chicken with 2 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a large bowl, combine chicken, wine, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or, even better, overnight.
• In a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook lardons over medium-low heat until fat has rendered, and lardons are golden and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lardons to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving rendered fat in pot.
• Remove chicken from wine, reserving the marinade. Pat chicken pieces with paper towels until very dry. Heat lardon fat over medium heat until it's just about to smoke. Working in batches if necessary, add chicken in a single layer and cook until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (Add oil if the pot looks a little dry.) Transfer chicken to a plate as it browns.
• Add diced onion, carrot, half the mushrooms and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pot. Cook until vegetables are lightly browned, about 8 minutes, stirring up any brown bits from the pot, and adjusting heat if necessary to prevent burning.
• Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then stir in flour and cook for another minute. Remove from heat, push vegetables to one side of pot, pour brandy into empty side, and ignite with a match. (If you're too nervous to ignite it, just cook brandy down for 1 minute.) Once the flame dies down, add reserved marinade, bring to a boil, and reduce halfway (to 1 1/2 cups), about 12 minutes. Skim off any large pockets of foam that form on the surface.
• Add chicken, any accumulated juices and half the cooked lardons to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, turning halfway through. Uncover pot and simmer for 15 minutes to thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick or other large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pearl onions, a pinch of sugar and salt to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, shaking skillet often to move onions around. Uncover, push onions to one side of skillet, add remaining mushrooms, and raise heat to medium-high. Continue to cook until browned, stirring mushrooms frequently, and gently tossing onions occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove onions and mushrooms from skillet, and wipe it out.
• In same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until bubbling. Add bread and toast on all sides until golden, about 2 minutes per side. (Adjust heat if needed to prevent burning.) Remove from skillet and sprinkle with salt.
• To serve, dip croutons in wine sauce, then coat in parsley. Add pearl onions, mushrooms and remaining half of the cooked lardons to the pot. Baste with wine sauce, sprinkle with parsley and serve with croutons on top.