how to make coq au vin for fancy dinner parties

One of the first things I learned to make was during a Sur La Table cooking class that Tim and I first took as a date night. We learned how to make coq au vin and ended the night with souffles, and I felt very fancy, went home, and watched "Julie & Julia" to get in touch with my inner (Julia) Child.

I've since pulled coq au vin out a few times to impress Tim's parents and a few coworkers. What I love about coq au vin is its history: this was a go-to dish for farmers' wives who had an old rooster on their hands. You'll notice that "comfort food" will likely be my biggest category on the blog, and that's because I idolize the "peasant" dishes from every cuisine -- after all, who doesn't love how food can make you feel? And this dish makes me feel like I'm on a farm in southern France, being treated to the rare and special treat of a chicken stew.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken leg quarters (leg + thigh)
• 1 bottle of burgundy or beaujolais
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb diced bacon
• 1 bag frozen pearl onions, peeled
• 1 bunch, button mushrooms
• 3 carrots quartered
• 2 celery stalks, quartered
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 2 bay leaves
• thyme, salt, pepper
• optional: duck fat for braising chicken or cooking bacon et al
• optional: flour to thicken sauce

Directions

Cook bacon, pearl onions, mushrooms and set aside (optional: add duck fat to cook). Braise the chicken (can coat in flour for texture) for 5 minutes on each side. Deglaze the pot with a bit of broth, loosening the bits off the bottom. Add vegetables, chicken, and tomato paste to the pot. 

Add wine, broth, and seasoning then store in the fridge for 1-3 days.

2.5 hours before serving, cook in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours. Strain the sauce, throw out vegetables and bay leaves, then reduce the sauce further on the stovetop by another third. 

Once the sauce has thickened, add the chicken, mushrooms, bacon and pearl onions back to the pot to serve.