Coq au vin

Matériel

• Heavy casserole with a lid (5–6 l)
• Wide frying pan (28 cm)
• Small saucepan
• Slotted spoon
• Long match or lighter for the cognac
• Instant-read thermometer

Avant de commencer

1. Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead and pat it very dry with kitchen paper.
2. Dice the onion and carrot, crush the garlic.
3. Tie the thyme, bay leaves and a few parsley stalks into a bundle with kitchen string.
4. Peel the pearl onions and trim the mushrooms.

Préparation

1. 1

   Season the chicken

   1,8 kg chicken pieces, bone-in and skin-on8 g fine salt1 c. à café black pepper

   Season the chicken pieces all over with the salt and pepper.

   C'est prêt quand Every piece has an even, light coating of seasoning and the skin is dry to the touch.
2. 2

   Render the lardons

   150 g lardons1 c. à soupe sunflower oil

   Heat the oil in the casserole over medium heat. Add the lardons and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until golden. Lift them out with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind.

   C'est prêt quand The lardons are golden and crisp at the edges and the pan has a layer of clear, sizzling fat.

   Lancer le minuteur de 6 min
3. 3

   Brown the chicken

   1,8 kg chicken pieces, bone-in and skin-on

   Raise the heat to medium-high. Brown the chicken skin side down in batches, 4–5 minutes, then turn and brown the other side for 3 minutes. Set aside with the lardons.

   C'est prêt quand The skin is deep golden and releases from the pan without tearing.

   Astuce Crowding the pan steams the chicken instead of browning it. Leave space between the pieces.

   Lancer le minuteur de 10 min
4. 4

   Soften the aromatics

   150 g onion120 g carrot3 gousses garlic1 c. à soupe tomato paste

   Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion, carrot and garlic for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute.

   C'est prêt quand The onion is soft and lightly golden and the tomato paste darkens to brick red.

   Lancer le minuteur de 5 min
5. 5

   Cook the flour

   25 g plain flour

   Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 2 minutes over medium heat.

   C'est prêt quand The flour disappears into the fat, the vegetables look coated and it smells nutty, not raw.

   Lancer le minuteur de 2 min
6. 6

   Flame the cognac

   45 ml cognac or brandy

   Take the casserole off the heat, pour in the cognac and light it carefully with a long match. Let the flames die down on their own.

   C'est prêt quand The flames have gone out and the sharp alcohol smell has turned sweet.

   Astuce Keep your face and sleeves away from the pot and never pour cognac straight from the bottle near a flame.
7. 7

   Add the wine

   750 ml red wine250 ml chicken stock4 brins thyme2 feuilles bay leaves1,8 kg chicken pieces, bone-in and skin-on150 g lardons

   Pour in the wine and stock, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the herb bundle, then return the chicken and lardons with their juices. Bring to the boil over high heat.

   C'est prêt quand The brown crust on the bottom has dissolved into the liquid and the chicken is almost covered.
8. 8

   Braise

   Lower the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer gently for 50–60 minutes.

   C'est prêt quand Only a few small bubbles break the surface and the meat starts to pull back from the ends of the bones.

   Astuce A hard boil makes the chicken stringy. Keep it at a lazy simmer.

   Lancer le minuteur de 1 h
9. 9

   Glaze the pearl onions

   45 g unsalted butter250 g pearl onions1 c. à café sugar

   Meanwhile, put the pearl onions in the small saucepan with half of the butter, the sugar and enough water to come halfway up. Cook over medium heat for 12–15 minutes, shaking the pan, until the water has evaporated and they roll in the butter.

   C'est prêt quand The onions are tender when pierced with a knife and coated in a shiny, golden glaze.

   Lancer le minuteur de 15 min
10. 10

    Brown the mushrooms

    45 g unsalted butter300 g button mushrooms

    Melt the rest of the butter in the frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms for 6–8 minutes without stirring for the first 3 minutes.

    C'est prêt quand The mushrooms are golden brown and the pan is dry; they squeak against the spatula.

    Astuce Salt the mushrooms only at the end, or they release water and boil.

    Lancer le minuteur de 7 min
11. 11

    Check the chicken

    1,8 kg chicken pieces, bone-in and skin-on

    Test the thickest piece next to the bone with a thermometer: it must read at least 74 °C. Lift the chicken onto a warm dish and cover loosely with foil.

    C'est prêt quand The meat is tender when pierced and the juices run clear, with no pink near the bone.
12. 12

    Reduce the sauce

    Remove the herb bundle and skim off the fat on the surface. Boil the sauce over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes until reduced by about a third. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

    C'est prêt quand The sauce is glossy, dark ruby and coats the back of a spoon; a finger drawn through it leaves a clear line.

    Lancer le minuteur de 10 min
13. 13

    Finish and serve

    250 g pearl onions300 g button mushrooms10 g flat-leaf parsley

    Return the chicken to the sauce with the onions and mushrooms and warm through over low heat for 2–3 minutes. Scatter over the parsley.

    C'est prêt quand Everything is glazed with sauce and gently steaming.

Erreurs courantes

Variantes