Coq au Vin

Ingredients:  I used plain ol' bacon instead of cubed bacon or pancetta, and I omitted the pearl onions, but only because they are never available here in Manila.  And here's the story with the brandy:  I didn't have brandy in the house, but, once again, waited until the last minute to prep everything, so went to the local grocery.  What I wanted was a mini of a decent brand of brandy, but that wasn't an option.  I could get a fairly sizable bottle (a fifth?) for $5 - 10, but I didn't want a huge bottle of mediocre brandy.  I found another section of the grocery that had smaller bottles of brandy (non minis, maybe pints?), but here's the scary part. . .it cost FIFTY CENTS.  Holy crap!  Bottles of brandy for FIFTY CENTS?  Well, I knew THAT wouldn't enhance the recipe, so I just left it out.

Help from Gigi:  None!  I really did this one all by myself.  Hmm.  That might be a lie.  Maybe she helped cook the potates for the mashed potatoes, which I served as a side.

So, I wasn't sure how this one would go over with the kids, I wasn't even sure that I would be able to get them to try it, but I made it anyway, because that's what you do when you blog with the Contessa.

When I made the Vegetable Pot Pie, I felt that the addition of Pernod made a significant difference in the outcome.  I have a feeling that brandy probably would have made a significant difference, but there was no way I was putting 50 cent brandy into my food, so I skipped it.  You know. . .I think I'll make this again soon (I have some wine to use), so maybe I'd better start looking for palatable brandy.

And then there was another issue:  color.  The picture of the Coq au Vin from the Food Network is a nice golden color.  I found something, somewhere that said you can prevent this by properly browning the chicken.  Well, I was in a hurry, so this didn't happen, and we got purple chicken.  It tasted great, and I got the kids to eat it, but I would have preferred golden to purple.

I served it with mashed potatoes.  You know, everything tastes better with mashed potatoes.

Coq Au Vin

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 ounces good bacon or pancetta, diced
• 1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut in 8ths
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup Cognac or good brandy
• 1/2 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy
• 1 cup good chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 10 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 pound frozen small whole onions
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.

Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.