French Coq Au Vin Recipe (Part 1) - World Kitchen

Nici says ..'I love this easy variation on the original coq au vin recipe. It's a great dish to do for large numbers because it can be prepared the day beforehand and served at the table'
Serves 8
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
You will need:
20g butter
3 rashers smokey bacon, diced
24 baby onions (or shallots), peeled
2 stalks celery, leave whole
24 brown button mushrooms, stalks removed
2 whole chickens - cut into serving sized portions, excess fat removed (or use pre-prepared chicken pieces)
2 Tbsp olive oil
500mls red wine (Pinot Noir or Burgundy)
3 bay leaves
2T fresh thyme
250ml chicken stock
20g plain flour to thicken (optional)
Salt and pepper
What to do:
For this dish, use a large pot or flame/ovenproof casserole dish (Le Creuset or similar) that has a lid.
Melt the butter in the pot and add the baby onions (or shallots), celery stalks and bacon. Sauté until golden, remove and set aside. Now sauté the mushrooms in the same pot (no need to wash the pot in between!) for 2-3 minutes. Remove these and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in the pot and brown the chicken pieces. If necessary, do this in 2-3 batches so as not to overcrowd the pot. Once finished browning, return all the chicken, onions, celery and bacon to the pot. Add the wine and bring to the boil for 2 minutes -- this allows the alcohol to cook off. Add the chicken stock, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to the boil, cover then simmer for 45 minutes--1 hour (or cover and cook in pre-heated oven at 160°C for 1 hour), until the chicken is very tender and wanting to fall away from the bone. Add the mushrooms and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Thicken the sauce if you wish with 20g flour mixed with water, cooking for a further 10 minutes. You want a sauce that is not too thick, not too thin, just right!
For Part 2 Click here: