In Praise of Lengthy Recipes & Cook to Cure: Coq au Vin
If anything, I believe in finding solace in chopping up onions, carrots, parsley, thyme, and the list goes on. I also believe that time spent cooking and consuming dishes is a fulfilling activity for oneself and a kind gesture to others. Setting apart the time to do grocery shopping, clear the kitchen table and wait next to a simmering pot is an escape from Hyde Park to my dream land of cooking.
Ever since I had my first bite of coq au vin/chicken cooked in wine, I wanted to recreate it. From the tender chicken thighs, to the rich yet subtle tastes, and bread soaked in wine sauce–everything in this dish deserves praise in its own right. I took the recipe from an amazing series called “The New Essentials of French Cooking” on NYT Cooking. In addition to the standard ingredient and method, it has a video, a brief history of cooking with wine, cooking techniques and serving tips. I strongly recommend reading the whole post before diving into the recipe itself, as lengthy dishes call for closer attention to details (they are more rewarding to cook too).
My summary of the key points:
Bone-in dark meat releases more flavor and thickens the stew.
Browning the meat sets the foundation of the sauce, i.e gives the umami taste. Take your time here.
Make a day ahead and let different flavors sit, mingle and intensify. So cook enough to have some leftover for next meal or try your best to resist the temptation to finish it straight out of the pot. My own trick is to start cooking after dinner and eat it for lunch the next day.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
To marinate:
- Chicken legs and thighs---3 pounds
- Kosher salt---2 ¼ tsp
- Pepper---½ tsp
- Red wine---3 cups
- Bay leaf---1
- Thyme leaves, chopped---1 tsp
To cook:
- Lardons, pancetta, bacon, diced to ¼-inch slice---4 ounces
- Olive oil---3 tbsp
- Large onion, diced---1
- Large carrot, diced---1
- White/brown mushrooms, diced/sliced---8 ounces
- Garlic, minced---2 cloves
- Tomato paste---1 tsp
- All-purpose flour---1 tbsp
- Brandy---2 tbsp
- Unsalted butter---3 tbsp
- Pearl onions---12-15
- Sugar---1 pinch
- Bread---as much as you can eat
- Parsley, chopped---¼ cup
Let's get started
1. To marinate: in a large bowl, put chicken, wine and seasoning together; mix well; store in the fridge overnight.
2. Take the chicken out of the marinade (don’t throw it away!) and dry them very well with paper-towel.
3. In a heavy-bottomed pot that has a lid, cook lardons over low-heat for 10-15 minutes, until they are crispy and the fat comes out. Take out the lardons and dry them on paper-towel.
4. Keep heating the pot till almost smokey, cook the dry legs and thighs for 3-5 minutes each side, until they are well-browned. Take them out when done.
5. Add onion, carrot and ½ of the mushrooms and ¼ tsp salt to the pot. Cook for 8 minutes to brown the veggies.
6. Add garlic and tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. This is the fancy bit! Move the pot off the heat, push the veggies to one side, pour in the brandy, light it on fire. Or just cook brandy for another minute. After the fire goes off, add the marinade to the pot, boil for 12 minutes to reduce it to half. Skim off foam if it forms on the surface.
7. Add chicken and ½ the lardons back to the pot. Cover with the lid and let it simmer for 1 hour. Uncover and simmer for another 15 minutes, Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. In another skillet, melt 1 tbsp of butter and add 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Throw in pearl onions with sugar and salt. Cover, lower the heat, and cook for 15 minutes. Shake the skillet from time to time to prevent burning. Push the onions to one side, add the rest of the mushrooms and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir and brown them for 5-8 minutes. Take the mushrooms and onions out of the skillet and wipe clean it.
9. Heat 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil till bubbling. Toast the bread till golden.
10. Serve! Dip the bread in the wine sauce and coat in chopped parsley. Add mushrooms and pearl onions and lardons to the pot. Pour the sauce over. Top with parsley and bread.
I got intimidated by the amount of fat used in the last few steps, so I just had a french baguette and wiped my plate with it–still delicious.
This dish is way too much for a one-person meal, but perfect for sharing with people you enjoy spending time with. Before school engulfs too much of our life, invite people over and eat!
Feature image via
