In Josh Emett’s superb book The Recipe he calls this French classic Chicken in wine Otherwise known as Coq au Vin ( sounds a lot fancier in my opinion ) but is a true French classic and so tasty and easy , best kept for an Autumn meal serve with blanched green beans and creamy mash or polenta Recipe by Josh Emett
Ingredients
- 8 chicken legs, skin on
- 2 cups plus 1 1/4 tbsp red wine, or just enough to cover the thighs
- 2/3 cup plus 2 tsp port
- canola oil for cooking
- 250g smoked bacon, diced
- 10 baby onions, peeled and quartered
- 250g button mushrooms, halved
- 5 whole garlic cloves
- 2 cups plus 1 1/4 tbsp beef stock
- 1/4 bunch of thyme
- handful of parsley, to garnish
Method
- Split the chicken into thighs and drumsticks, place in a plastic container and just cover with the red wine and port. Cover and refrigerate overnight, but mix a few times in the first few hours to ensure the chicken is properly coated.
- The next dau, preheat oven to 160ºC.
- Drain the chicken in a colander placed over a bowl, reserving the liquid for later. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Heat some oil in a large ovenproof frypan over a medium heat, add the chicken, in batches if necessary, and fry until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Add the bacon and onions to the same pan and fry for about 10 minutes, until golden, then add the mushrooms and garlic and continue to fry until golden and the moisture has gone, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the reserved wine and port, bring to a light boil and reduce by half. Add the chicken back in at this stage, then add enough beef stock to cover. Bring back to the boil, then skim the surface. Add the thyme and cover with a cartouche then a lid. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes.
- Serve straight away, garnished with parsley, or leave to cool and gently reheat when ready to serve.
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