Oh, February (A Coq au Vin Recipe)
How I’m getting through what’s left of winter:
Weeknight Coq Au Vin
(There’s a chicken thigh hiding in there)
six pieces of chicken (I used legs and thighs), bones in and skin on
one-third bottle red wine
one package of mushrooms, cremini or white
one medium to large onion
third to half a (small) can of crushed or diced tomatoes
one bay leaf
thyme (dried or fresh)
flour, salt, and pepper for dredging
egg noodles
Mix flour, salt, and pepper together in a bowl large enough to dredge the chicken pieces in it. Press the chicken into the flour, piece by piece, covering thoroughly, and set aside.
Chop the onions, pretty finely, and wash and quarter the mushrooms.
Heat olive oil in a deep saucepan. Fry the chicken in the oil until it’s nice and browned.
Set the chicken aside, and pour off excess fat. Add a tablespoon or so of butter to the pan, heat it on medium, and add the onions. Cook medium-low until the onions are soft, then add the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms look pretty much warm, sweaty, and delicious, add the chicken back to the pan, along with the tomatoes, a bay leaf, a nice amount of thyme (maybe almost a tablespoon if it’s dried), and the wine.
Simmer this with the lid on, turning the chicken pieces over occasionally, until the chicken is done—maybe another half an hour. If there’s too much sauce at the end, you can simmer it with the lid off for a while.
Serve on egg noodles and with a vegetable. Basically this is comfort food you can still feel like a grown-up about. Extra comforting if you drink the balance of the bottle of the wine with someone you like, while you’re cooking.
No Comments Yet