Coq au vin
For the marinade
- 1 bottle good-quality red wine (preferably Pinot Noir)
- 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 sticks celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, un-peeled, bruised
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cloves
For the stew
- 4 large chicken joints, skinned ( used 15 chicken thigh fillets)
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for shallow frying
- 100g/3½oz smoked pancetta, rind removed, cut into large cubes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 desert spoon plain flour
- 25g/1oz butter
- 20 button onions, peeled (Or to onions chopped)
- 20 button mushrooms (or mushroom ketchup)
- 3 tbsp cognac
- olive oil, for shallow frying
- boiled or steamed potatoes, to serve
- Place the marinade ingredients into a casserole dish and bring to the boil. Allow the volume of liquid to reduce by one-third and strain into a clean, non-reactive bowl. Place the chicken pieces into the marinade, cover and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 5-6 hours or, preferably, overnight.
- Warm the olive oil in the casserole dish and gently fry the pancetta until golden-brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
- Remove the chicken joints from the marinade, setting the liquid aside. Season the chicken joints with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry until golden-brown in a little olive oil. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the butter to the dish and place the onions and mushrooms into the casserole and fry gently for 10 minutes, or until golden-brown. Return the chicken and bacon to the pot, turn up the heat and pour over the cognac. Set alight, allow the flames to die down. Stir in 2 (or 3) heaped desert spoons floor. Add the reserved, reduced wine. Cover and gently simmer for one hour.
- Serve the coq au vin with simply boiled or steamed potatoes.