Coq au Vin

Max was a foreign exchange student of ours from Leone, France. He claims Coq au Vin is the most famous chicken recipe in France. He prepared this dish for us many times and is now a chef in Paris. Enjoy

Ingredients

• 8 oz thick cut bacon strips
• 1 1/2 C water
• 1 oz butter
• (12) button onions
• 8 oz. mushrooms, left whole, if small, if large, quarter
• 1 1/2 C dry red wine
• 3 lbs. chicken, cut into eight pieces
• 3 T brandy
• 1 bouquet garni
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3 T flour
• 1 1/2 C chicken stock
• 2 T chopped parsley
• 4 slices bread, crusts removed
• oil for frying
• salt and pepper

Directions

Cut bacon strips into strips 1/4" thick. Boil the bacon until blanched approximately 5 minutes. Remove from water, drain and set aside. Using the same water from the bacon, drop in the onions. Allow them to boil rapidly for 2-3 minutes, rinse in very cold water and peel. Set aside with the bacon.

Melt half of the butter in a large frying pan , add the bacon and the onions. Fry until both are golden brown. Remove and again, set aside. Use remaining butter and fry the mushrooms. Set aside with bacon and onions.

With remaining butter, fry the chicken a few pieces at a time. When all pieces are browned on all sides, remove to a large baking casserole. Pour the wine into a small saucepan and boil it down until it's about 1 C. In another small saucepan, measure out the brandy and warm it over low heat. Ignite with a match and while still flaming pour over the chicken in the casserole. Shake the casserole carefully until the flames die. Add the bouquet garni and garlic to the casserole.

Pour off all but 1 T of butter/chicken fat from the large frying pan and stir in the flour. Cook over gentle heat, scraping any of the browned chicken juices from the bottom of the pan. Pour into the reduced wine and add the stock. Bring sauce to a full boil, stirring constantly Pour over the chicken and cover with casserole lid. Place in a 350 degree F oven and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove from oven, add the bacon, onions and mushrooms and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove the bouquet garni and season with salt and pepper.

Cut each of the bread slices into 4 triangles. Heat oil to 375 degrees or deep frying temperature, add the triangles two at a time and fry until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: Maxene Molinere
Submitted By: Sandy Wells
sanwells@pacbell.net
Coq au Vin