Julia Child's Coq au Vin
Filed under
Poultry
Chicken in red wine with onions, mushrooms and bacon. Recipe courtesy Julia Child. Uses Brown-Braised Onions and Sauteed Mushrooms (their own recipes). Electric skillet temperatures are given for each step.
Ingredients
- 3 oz Bacon, 3 to 4-ounce chunk, lean
- 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
- 3 lb Chicken, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying chicken, cut into pieces
- 1/2 tsp Salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1/8 tsp Black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 1/4 cup Cognac
- 3 cup Red wine, young, full-bodied (Burgundy, Beaujolais, Cotes du Rhone or Chianti)
- 2 cup Chicken stock, 1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock, brown stock or canned beef bouillon
- 1/2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 clove Garlic, mashed
- 1/4 tsp Thyme, leaves
- 1 Bay leaf
- Brown-Braised Onions, 12 to 24
- 1/2 lb Sauteed mushrooms
- 3 tbsp Flour, all-purpose
- 2 tbsp Butter, softened
- Parsley, fresh sprigs
Directions
- Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons (1/4 inch across and 1 inch long). Simmer 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water, rinse in cold water and dry.
- In a large heavy casserole, saute the bacon slowly in the hot butter until very lightly browned (260 degrees F in an electric skillet). Remove to a side dish.
- Dry the chicken thoroughly and brown it in the hot fat (360 degrees F). Season with salt and pepper, return the bacon, cover and cook slowly (300 degrees F) 10 minutes, turning once.
- Uncover and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite it with a match and shake the casserole until the flames subside.
- Pour in the wine and just enough stock to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herbs and simmer, covered, 20 to 25 minutes, until the juices run clear yellow when pricked. Remove the chicken. Prepare the onions and mushrooms meanwhile.
- Simmer the liquid 1 to 2 minutes, skimming the fat, then boil rapidly to reduce to about 2 1/4 cups. Correct the seasoning and discard the bay leaf.
- Blend the softened butter and flour into a smooth paste (beurre manie) and beat it into the hot liquid with a whisk. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes, stirring; it should lightly coat a spoon.
- Arrange the chicken in a casserole with the mushrooms and onions around it and baste with the sauce. If not serving right away, film the top with stock or dot with butter; set aside uncovered no longer than 1 hour, or cool, cover and refrigerate.
- Shortly before serving, bring to a simmer, basting the chicken, then cover and simmer 4 to 5 minutes until heated through. Serve from the casserole or on a hot platter, decorated with parsley.