Coq au vin
Units
Servings
Ingredients
Brine and chicken
- 1 free-range chicken, about 1.8 kg rounded
- 1 L water rounded
- 50 g fine salt rounded
- 1 bay leaf rounded
- 3 g black peppercorns rounded
- 6 g fresh thyme rounded
- 30 g plain flour rounded
Sauce and garnish
- 1 carrot, cut into chunks rounded
- 2 shallots, cut into chunks rounded
- 2 garlic cloves rounded
- 125 ml cognac rounded
- 600 ml dry red wine rounded
- 300 ml reduced chicken stock rounded
- 300 ml beef stock rounded
- 1 bouquet garni rounded
- 150 g smoked lardons rounded
- 250 g button mushrooms rounded
- 15 pearl onions rounded
- 1 chicken liver, optional (optional) rounded
- 15 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped rounded
Method
Method
- Dissolve salt in water with bay, peppercorns, and thyme. Cool. Brine chicken pieces 4 hours in the refrigerator; rinse briefly and dry thoroughly.
- Roast the chopped carcass at 180°C until golden, about 35 minutes. Dust chicken lightly with flour and brown skin-side down in oil; remove.
- Fry lardons until golden; remove. Brown mushrooms, then pearl onions, and reserve with the bacon.
- Sauté carrot and shallots 5 to 7 minutes. Add cognac off the heat, return to heat, and reduce almost dry. Flambé only if experienced and with the extractor fan off.
- Add wine and reduce by two-thirds. Add roasted bones, garlic, bouquet garni, and both stocks. Return chicken skin-side up, cover with a cartouche, and simmer gently 20 to 30 minutes until chicken reaches 74°C.
- Remove chicken. Strain sauce, discard solids, and reduce until lightly thickened. If using liver, blend it with a ladle of hot sauce, whisk it back over low heat, then strain again; do not boil.
- Return chicken, lardons, mushrooms, and onions to warm through. Finish with parsley.
Notes
- Keep the four-hour brine refrigerated and do not extend it; 5% brine seasons quickly.
- For alcohol-free cooking, use 750 ml stock plus 100 ml red grape juice and finish with red wine vinegar.
- Chicken liver enriches the sauce but is optional; cook the finished sauce thoroughly without curdling it.