Coq Au Vin Blanc
Recipe: Coq Au Vin Blanc
Yields 4-6 servings
1/4 lb slab bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces or pre cut pancetta bits
2 small onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 medium shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
10 chicken thighs, with skin and bone
1lb cremini mushrooms, cut in half
2 or 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (or finely grated on a microplane)
1/2 bunch chopped Italian parsley (divided into 2 portions)
1 bunch chopped tarragon (divided into 2 portions)
1 bottle dry white, like Chenin Blanc wine
Sea Salt & Fresh Black Pepper
PREHEAT OVEN TO 385
Heat large oven proof deep sauté pan or dutch oven over medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Lower heat.
Add bacon, and cook until most of the fat has been rendered.
Add onions & shallots and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes.
Remove pan from heat.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer mixture to plate, leaving behind fat as possible.
Return pan to medium high heat, and heat bacon fat for 3 minutes.
Working in batches brown chicken on both sides, starting with SKIN side first, transferring to a plate after they are browned (do not put on a paper towel, as you want the juices that flow from the chicken to add back to the pan).
Reduce heat to medium-low. Add mushrooms, garlic. Sauté until mushrooms about 3 minutes until they are coated in fat and just start to change.
Add 1/2 of the parsley and 1/2 of the tarragon.
Return chicken pieces, onions and bacon to pan. Add wine, a 1/4 tsp Salt & Pepper, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Turn of heat.
Cover and cook in oven for 1 hour. Taste for salt after an 1 hour, IF salted properly the braising liquid should taste like chicken broth & mushrooms. If you are not getting this flavor, add a little more salt.
To serve add remaining parsley and tarragon. AND a little butter would give this a great finish but not necessary.
This dish freezes well. For best results, cool in pan for 15 minutes then refrigerate to cool completely before freezing