Simple & Delicious French Cooking – Coq au Vin pt. 2

September 18, 2021Jen

Happy (almost) fall! I cannot wait for colder weather. Colder weather means sweaters, golden leaves, apple-picking, and hearty recipes for peak coziness. As an attempt to marry Summer and Fall together, I wanted a lighter take on Coq au Vin. Rather than the heartiness of a Burgundy-based sauce, I opted for the crispness of dry white wine. 

The dry white wine called for a lighter vegetable base, and just the tiniest tweak to ingredients of my original Coq au Vin recipe:

  • Parsnips: A root vegetable that is most closely related to carrots, I opted for a combination of the two. The parsnip added a sweetness and rich flavor to the dish, which complimented the crispness of the wine. 
  • Pearl Onions: Pearled onions, when added to stews or slow-cooked meals, provide a delicious sweetness. You get the full sweet-onion flavor without in every succulent bite. 
  • Unsalted Butter:  The original recipe called for 1 tbs of butter. However, this version requires a heavier hand. The lightness of the white wine requires a creamier roux to thicken the sauce and counteract the greasiness of the bacon. Nothing appetizing about diving into a layer of grease.

Coq au Vin Blanc
Servings: 6
Total time: 3-4 hrs

Ingredients:

  • 4lbs bone-in chicken thighs
  • 4 oz bacon, cut into 1” pieces
  • 1 med carrot, cut into .5” coins
  • 1 parsnip, cut into .5” coins
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • thyme sprigs
  • 5 tbs unsalted butter
  • 1 lb button mushrooms, sliced
  • 8-10 pearl onions, peeled
  • ¼ c brandy or cognac
  • ¼ c dry white wine
  • ½ c chicken broth
  • 1 tbs flour
  • 1-2 tsp olive oil

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300oF
  2. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven on the stove and fry bacon until brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove to plate to cool
  3. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and brown in bacon fat. Remove from the dutch oven, and place on the plate with the bacon (brown in batches to avoid overcrowding)
  4. Add your onions, garlic, carrots, and parsnip to the dutch oven. Cook over medium heat for 20 mins, or until fragrant and the vegetables have softened
  5. Add brandy, and scrape to loosen brown bits from the bottom
  6. Add bacon and chicken back to the dutch oven
  7. Add white wine, chicken stock, and thyme to the chicken. Bring to boil, cover with lid, and let simmer for 20 mins. Place in the oven and set a timer for 60-70 mins.
  8. While the dutch oven is in the oven, melt butter on the stove and mix with flour to create a roux. 
  9. Remove dutch oven when the timer dings. Add the roux, sliced mushrooms, and pearl onions. Stir to combine and palace in oven for another 20-30 mins. 
  10. Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 mins, serve over mashed potatoes

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