Oh là là – Coq Au Vin

Chicken is often underrated in winter as we often turn to more hearty meat dishes. But this classic French chicken stew shows how rich and hearty a chicken dish can be. It is best prepared in a Dutch oven but can be adapted for a slow cooker. Leftovers reheat well and this can be served with mashed potatoes, rice or just a simple salad.
The recipe calls for chicken. Chicken thighs stand up to the long cook time for this dish. Feel free to use a whole chicken, cut up into 8 pieces. Watch the temperature on the wings and breasts and remove them once they reach about 165.
You can also feel free to substitute ingredients where needed. Pearl onions are traditional but you can use any type of yellow, white or brown onion. White button mushrooms are traditional but we use shitake. We also use a full pound of mushrooms, their health benefits are amazing and we try to incorporate them into our weekly meals.
Most of the ingredients for this dish can be found at our weekly farmers markets here in Santa Clarita. Our Saturday Old Town Newhall market has the best ranch direct meats, including chickens and chicken pieces. They also have mushrooms and a wine farmer with local wines. All of our farmers markets will have the vegetables, herbs and more you need for this dish.
The Santa Clarita Valley farmers markets operate Saturday morning in Old Town Newhall, Sunday morning in Valencia FivePoint (behind Magic Mountain) and Wednesday evening in Canyon Country. More information about our farmers markets can be found at www.scvfarmersmarkets.com.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade:
1 Whole chicken cut into 8 pieces OR 8 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
3 Cups dry (non sweet) red wine
4 Thyme sprigs
1 Bay leaf

Main Dish:
1 lb Fresh white button mushrooms of or other (shitake or oyster), cut in half or bite sized pieces
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced into large chunks (or about 18 pearl onions left whole)
3 cups beef stock (more rich) or chicken stock
2 T tomato paste
6oz bacon, diced into small ¼” pieces
1/4 Cup Butter
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1/3 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Olive oil
Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

(Marinating the chicken overnight (about 12 hours) is recommended but can be omitted. Simply add the marinade ingredients to the pot or slow cooker after all vegetables have been sauteed.) To marinade, we like to use a gallon ziploc bag. Simply add all marinade ingredients together and refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 350. After marinating, season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Reserve the used marinade. Place chicken on a plate while heating the oil. Add half the olive oil to a hot deep pan or dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear both sides of the chicken until medium brown in color. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Add bacon pieces to your pot and continue to cook over medium high heat until brown. Remove bacon and set aside. Cook mushrooms until browned before removing to a plate and setting aside. Use additional olive oil as needed.
Cook onions and carrots until lightly browned. Add garlic in and cook for one additional minute.
Add butter to the pot, leaving vegetables in the pot. Once the butter melts, stir in flour and incorporate. The liquid will thicken and form a paste. Slowly add in the stock, stirring and incorporating into the pasty mixture. Add the marinade into the pot and then the tomato paste. Stir until incorporated.
Add bacon, onions, carrots and mushrooms to the pot. Try to submerge the pieces as much as possible. Add an additional 1 cup of wine if needed. Bring to a simmer (just shy of a boil). Cover and place into the oven for 45 minutes.
The sauce should be thick, yet runny like gravy. If it is too thick, add water until it reaches the desired consistency. If it is too thin, remove the cooked chicken to a clean plate and boil the remaining contents in the pot until it is slightly reduced. Serve on top of mashed potatoes, rice or with a crusty French baguette. Spoon vegetables and sauce over the chicken.
CROCKPOT
Follow all instructions through browning the vegetables and garlic. After that, add all to a slow cooker and cook on low for about 6 hours.

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