Alton Brown's Coq Au Vin

Submitted by YummySmellsca

"Sticking this here so I can make this wonderful meal for FH before he goes away to college. It's his favourite dish!"

 

• Ready In: 3hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 4 chicken legs with thigh
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 - 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons water
• 6 ounces thick slab bacon, cubed
• 30 white pearl onions, blanched and peeled
• 8 ounces button mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 (750 ml) bottles red wine (preferably pinot noir or burgundy)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 2 stalks celery, quartered
• 2 medium carrots, quartered
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups chicken stock

directions

1. Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Place the chicken pieces, a few at a time, into a large sealable plastic bag along with the flour.
3. Shake to coat all of the pieces of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the bag to a metal rack.
4. Add the 2 tablespoons of water to a large, 12-inch saute pan over medium heat along with the bacon.
5. Cover and cook until the water is gone, and then continue to cook until the bacon cubes are golden brown and crispy, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Remove the salt pork from the pan and set aside.
7. In the same pan, using the remaining fat, add the pearl onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute until lightly brown, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
8. Brown the chicken pieces on each side until golden, working in batches if necessary to not overcrowd the pan.
9. Transfer the chicken into a 7 to 8-quart enameled cast iron Dutch oven.
10. Add the mushrooms to the same pan, adding the 1 tablespoon of butter if needed, and saute until they give up their liquid, approximately 5 minutes.
11. Store the onions, mushrooms and pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
12. Pour off any remaining fat and deglaze the pan with approximately 1 cup of the wine.
13. Pour this into the Dutch oven along with the chicken stock, tomato paste, quartered onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Add all of the remaining wine.
14. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
15. The next day, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
16. Place the chicken in the oven and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is tender. Maintain a very gentle simmer and stir occasionally.
17. Once the chicken is done, remove it to a heatproof container, cover, and place it in the oven to keep warm.
18. Strain the sauce in a colander and remove the carrots, onion, celery, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf.
19. Return the sauce to the pot, place over medium heat, and reduce by 1/3. Depending on how much liquid you actually began with, this should take 20 to 45 minutes.
20. Once the sauce has thickened, add the pearl onions, mushrooms, and pork and cook for another 15 minutes or until the heated through.
21. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, remove from the heat, add the chicken and serve.