Coq Au Vin

It's cold & stew season. (See what I did there?) I always enjoy cooking more in the winter. I can justify packing on the extra pounds, putting it down to padding my winter coat. Most people are polite enough to leave it at that (wink).

Coq Au Vin - as told by Blog O. Food

4 oz thick-cut bacon or pancetta, diced 4 ea bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks 2 carrots, cut into 1" pieces 1 medium yellow onion, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 375 ml (½ bottle) dry red wine 1 cup chicken stock 6-8 sprigs fresh thyme 3 Tbsp unsalted butter 1 ½ Tbsp all-purpose flour ½ lb frozen pearl onions ½ button mushrooms, de-stemmed and sliced thick

Heat 1 tablespoon of reserved bacon fat in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon begins to brown. Remove the bacon and reserve.

Meanwhile, season the chicken pieces liberally on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the chicken in batches in the reserved fat. Cook in one layer with plenty of space in between individual pieces. Brown evenly on both sides, and remove to a plate.

Once all the chicken is browned and removed from the Dutch oven, add the carrots and onions to the pot, season with salt, and cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, until the onions just begin to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for one or two additional minutes. Reintroduce the chicken and bacon to the pot, including any juices that may have accumulated. Add the wine, stock and herbs, then bring to a boil.

Cover the Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid and place in a pre-heated 275°F oven and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink.

While the dish bakes, brown the mushrooms in a small skillet over medium-high heat in a tablespoon of butter. Once they've released all their liquid and have turned golden, remove from the pan and set aside. Add another tablespoon of butter to the skillet and brown the pearl onions in the same fashion. Set the onions aside as well until the chicken is finished in the oven.

Remove the Dutch pot from the oven and return to the stovetop. Mash the flour and remaining butter together to form a paste. Stir into the stew. Add the onions and mushrooms, and bring everything to a simmer for an additional 10 minutes or so.

You can serve your Coq au vin with thick egg noodles, orzo, or potatoes. I went with an herbed butter spud, and the second half of the bottle of red!

We have weeks and weeks of winter weather ahead of us. The stick-to-the-ribbedness has just begun.

Thanks for taking the time - Blog O. Food