Coq au Vin
Ingredients
Food Safety
Before you start, wash all surfaces and your hands with soap and warm water, and remember to wash your hands, utensils and cutting boards after they touch raw meat or eggs. Avoid cross-contamination by using a different cutting board for your meat and other ingredients. Make sure you’re cooking to safe temperatures and chilling any leftovers within two hours. For more food safety tips, visit our Food Safety at Home Section.
Steps
Put flour in re-sealable bag. Place 6 chicken thighs at a time in bag and shake to coat pieces.
Heat 1 Tbsp (15 mL) of olive oil and 1 Tbsp (15 mL) of butter in large frying pan and brown chicken pieces on medium-high heat, about 6 at a time, on each side. It’s best to not put too many in at a time as the chicken will not brown as well.
Place browned chicken pieces on plate. Repeat until all chicken is browned.
Put remaining olive oil and butter in a large pot and heat on medium.
Slice bacon into about 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces and brown until crispy in pot. Remove bacon from pot and add to plate of chicken.
Add carrots, celery, garlic, pearl onions, and mushrooms. Sprinkle vegetables with a little sea salt and fresh ground pepper. The salt will make the vegetables sweat and help them caramelize. Sauté until softened and slightly browned or caramelized.
Add cognac and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes.
Add white wine to pot and bring to a gentle boil over medium low heat for about 4 minutes.
Add chicken broth, spices, chicken and bacon and mix chicken in with vegetables. Cook covered on medium heat for about 40 minutes.
Take off lid and cook an additional roughly 10 to 15 minutes to reduce liquid and until chicken is thoroughly cooked and a meat thermometer inserted into the chicken registers 165°F (74°C).
Remove sprigs of thyme, parsley and bay leaves before serving.
Helpful Tip
Serve with mashed potatoes and your favourite vegetable or salad. Cook and mash the potatoes with the skin on for extra flavour, fibre and nutrients.
