Coq au Vin
Coq au vin is one of my favourite recipes. Typically done in colder months, it is almost a sin to call it a stew, the flavours are too intense to compare it to that. Coq au vin is typically served with potatoes, or mashed potatoes. The best part of this? Very lean. Other than the mashed potatoes, this dish is essentially pure protein from the chicken and fat from the lard.
PS: you can make this dish gluten free by substituting the flour for gluten free flour, the results are the same!
For the traditional recipe, a different kind of onions are used (Pearl onions). I use shallots, as I did not have the other onions. I used a burgundy wine, from beaujolais, any burgundy wine will do. My mom actually does this dish with white wine.
The secret to getting the right texture is to cook the sauce slowly. Do not rush things, rushing things equals less flavour and less texture. Low and slow will do the trick!
Coq au Vin
Description
Succulent Coq au Vin.
Ingredients
- Chicken or Chicken Thighs (preferably with skin on)
- Red Wine (Bourgogne)
- Lard
- Chicken Stock
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Tomato
- Flour (Gluten Free flour)
- Salt & Pepper
- Cognac
Instructions
- Prep: Finely chop garlic and roughly chop shallots into thick slices. Crush a tomato and strain. Cut up pieces of lard into cubes
- In a Deep Pan or Ceramic Dish render the fat of the lard until cirspy, do not put heat too high or you will burn the oil.
- Remove the lard, set aside, and put the heat to medium heat and after pat drying the chicken thighs, place into pan. Flip once skin is golden brown.
- Add cognac, and flambee (set fire to) the cognac. Be careful, the cognac will catch fire and can harm your kitchen. Keep a lid nearby to choke fire if it is too much.
- Add aromatics (garlic and shallots) and pour in 1-2 cups of red wine. Wait a few minutes and add chicken stock and tomato that you crushed ealier.
- Add flour in sauce, and make sure to incorporate well. This will thicken the sauce. You can also readd the lard that you removed earlier. Add salt & pepper to taste.
- Let sauce cook on low heat and cover with lid. You can cook this on low heat for about 30-60 minutes before removing lid. The sauce should have a texture that coats the spoon, if it is too liquid, continue cooking without a lid to evaporate some of the water.
- Serve with potatoes and mashed potatoes!
Bon appetit!
Notes
- You can swap flour for gluten free flour
- Pearl onions are used in the traditional recipe, I swapped it for shallots
- If you do not have Cognac you can substitute it with Brandy.
