Coq au Vin
Classic Burgundy-braised chicken with pearl onions, bacon, and mushrooms, served with silky creamed ratte potatoes.
| Preparation | Cooking | Ready in | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 minutes | 2+ hours | ~26 hours (includes overnight rest) | Four servings |
Coq au Vin
| Name | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Chicken | 1 large (1.5 kg) |
| Chicken stock | 1 L |
| Red wine, Burgundian / Pinot Noir | Half a bottle |
| Carrot | 1, diced |
| Onion | 1, diced |
| Leek | 1, diced |
| Garlic | 1 bulb, split |
| Peppercorns | 10 |
| Thyme, fresh | As needed |
| Flour (seasoned with salt and black pepper) | As needed |
| Mushrooms, button | 20, stalks trimmed |
| Pearl onions, silver skin | 20 |
| Bacon, Alsace / ventrèche | 100 g |
| Parsley, flat leaf | As needed |
| Salt | As needed |
| Olive oil | As needed |
Creamed Potatoes
| Name | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Potatoes, ratte | 1 kg |
| Double cream | 1 L |
| Butter | 250 g |
| Maldon salt | As needed |
| Milk (cold, if needed) | As needed |
Directions
- Break the chicken down into 13 pieces cut for sauté. Marinate the chicken overnight in red wine along with the diced carrot, onion, leek, peppercorns, and thyme.
- Drain the chicken from the red wine and reserve the liquid and vegetables.
- Heat a wide-based pan, add a layer of olive oil, and begin to color the pearl onions and bacon. Allow the bacon to render and color quite fast. You are looking for good caramelization over the whole pan. Remove the onions and bacon from the pan.
- Color the heart-shaped croutons (coeur croquants) to an even golden brown. Drain the croutons well.
- Return the onions and bacon to the pan along with any residual fat and add the mushrooms. Turn up the heat and color the mushrooms well.
- Turn off the pan—this is very important as it allows all of the residual fond on the pan to release and cook back into the vegetables. Turn the heat back on and heat well. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside (the grand-mère garnish).
- Flour the chicken. Add a layer of olive oil to the pan and sear the floured chicken well on all sides. Remove the chicken.
- Add the drained marinating vegetables to the pan and color well. Add the reserved red wine and reduce to a dry glace—this is important for intensity of flavour.
- Add chicken stock to just under halfway up the pan. Return the chicken to the pan and cover with a cartouche.
- Cook in a 160°C oven for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 1 hour.
- Remove the chicken from the pan. Pass the contents of the pan through a colander or sieve and reduce the sauce by two-thirds.
- Add the grand-mère garnish (onions, bacon, and mushrooms) back to the pan. Reheat the chicken slightly in the sauce and finish with lots of finely cut parsley. Serve alongside creamed potatoes.
Creamed Potatoes
- Peel the potatoes very well and wash. Cover in cold seasoned water and bring to a simmer.
- Place the cream and butter on the stove to reduce by two-thirds—not too quickly, or it will catch and caramelize.
- Cook the potatoes for 15–20 minutes near the back of the stove so they retain their shape.
- Working quickly, pass the potatoes through a tamis twice.
- In a wide pan, heat the potato for 3–4 minutes. Add the reduced cream in two or three stages, working the potato well and adding the dairy bit by bit.
- If the potato splits away from the cream, bring it back with a little cold milk.
- Seasoning needs to be spot on when cooking the potato so you do not have to finish with much salt.
Enjoy!