COQ AU VIN

Recipe from Foolproof French Cookery by Raymond Blanc.

This dish demonstrates what is really good about French cuisine conviviality,
friends and laughter, simple hearty food, rustic bread dipped into the sauce and the
heady red wine that will be drunk. Time stops. That is why this dish has become
totally timeless and loved by most. Despite a certain degree of complication, it is a
must for a fantastic dinner party.
Preparation: 1 hour, plus 24 hours' marinating.

Ingredients Required
1.5kg
1 heaped tbsp
2 tbsp
2 pinches

Chicken, (free range or organic), cut into 10 pieces (ask your b

Plain flour
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade

1 litre

Full-bodied red wine, such as Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon

3
2
20
1
1 tsp

Medium carrots, cut into slanted slices 1 cm (1/2 in) thick

Celery sticks, cut into slices 1 cm (1/2 in) thick
Baby onions, peeled but left whole
Bouquet garni (parsley stalks, 2 bay leaves, 6 sprigs thyme tie
Black peppercorns, crushed

For the garnish

1 tbsp
200g
400g
1 tbsp

Olive oil
Smoked streaky bacon, rind removed, diced
Small button mushrooms, trimmed
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooking Method
Marinating the chicken
Bring the red wine to the boil and boil until reduced by a third, to remove the alcohol and
concentrate the colour and flavour. Leave to cool. In a bowl, mix the chicken pieces,
carrots, celery, baby onions, peppercorns and bouquet garni together and pour the cooled
red wine over them. Cover with cling film, refrigerate and leave to marinate for 24
hours. Place a colander over a large bowl and put the chicken mixture in it to drain off
the marinade. Leave for a minimum of 1 hour to remove excess liquid. Separate the
chicken, vegetables and herbs, and pat dry with kitchen paper. Season the chicken with 4
pinches of salt and 4 pinches of freshly ground black pepper. Reserve the liquid.
Toasting the flour
Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Sprinkle the flour on a baking tray and
cook in the oven for 810 minutes, until it is very lightly coloured. Set aside. Reduce the
oven temperature to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2.
Frying the chicken
On a high heat, in a large, heavy-based casserole, heat the olive oil and colour the chicken
pieces in it for 57 minutes on each side. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a
plate and set aside. Add the drained vegetables and herbs to the casserole. Lower the heat
to medium high and cook for 5 minutes, until lightly coloured.
Making the sauce
Spoon out most of the fat from the casserole, add the toasted flour and stir into the
vegetables for a few seconds. On a medium heat, whisk in the wine marinade little by
little; this will create a sauce and prevent lumps forming. Bring to the boil and skim any
impurities from the surface. The wine marinade will be slightly thickened and have the
consistency of a light sauce. Add the chicken pieces and return to the boil. Cover with a
lid and cook in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.
Finishing the sauce

If you wish you can serve the coq au vin as it is. But should you prefer a richer, more
powerful sauce, drain it through a colander and, on a high heat, boil the sauce until it has
reduced by one third. It should have acquired more body and become a rich, vinous
colour. Pour the sauce back over the chicken and vegetables.
Cooking the garnish
Over a medium heat, in a medium non-stick frying pan, heat the olive oil and cook the
diced bacon in it for 30 seconds. Add the button mushrooms and cook for a further 4
minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix the diced bacon and button mushrooms
into the coq au vin. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve piping hot, straight from the
casserole