A beautiful traditional burgundy dish that you can’t say no to. It is getting cold in Australia, the perfect time to make this dish for a couple or family lunch or dinner. There are many versions of the dish out there and here is my version of it with chicken drumsticks and button mushrooms. My cooking method is probably different to others out there, but its simple and its still very delicious and heart warming. It is normally cooked in a dutch oven or a skillet and often cooked on the stove and then baked in the oven to finish, but since I haven’t got any one of them I am showing you my version using a stainless steel pan/wok and only slow cooking it on the stove.
There are also recipes that also add thickening ingredients such as tomato paste and cornstarch to thicken the sauce. I like my food to be natural and using fresh ingredients as much as possible so my recipe does not include any thickening agents. I slow cook the meat and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken itself. The other method I was told I could use is to cook it the night before and leave it in the fridge over night and then cook it in the oven the next day to finish up. This method is good for you if you are busy and don’t have the time to wait for it to cook all in one go. Leaving the dish in the fridge over night will also allow the chicken to rest and absorb the flavour from the wine and make the dish more flavourful the next day. However I wouldn’t be using this method because our fridge isn’t big enough for a big pan. I am cooking it in one go with extended cooking time. Instead of cooking it for an hour I am slow cooking it for 2 hours, long enough to allow the chicken to absorb the wine flavour and long enough to tenderise the meat.
Note: when making this recipe its best to have a lid on when slow cooking the meat. It helps to keep the moisture in and allow the top and bottom of the meat to cook equally.
If you are using a pan like I do and do not have a lid that fits your pan, you can always use aluminium foil to wrap the top of the pan while the food simmer down.
COQ AU VIN
Prep-Time: 15 mins Serving: 4
Cooking Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
Ingredients
4 large drumsticks or maryland
250g button mushrooms, washed
250g shallots
4 pieces bacon, cut into strips (preferred fat free)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 cups red wine
50g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat a pan/dutch oven over medium high heat, add in the butter and oil once the pan is heated. Place the drumsticks into the heated butter and sear to brown all sides. Transfer the browned drumsticks onto a plate and set aside.
In the same pan cook the bacon until brown or until all fat excess. Add in the garlic and stir for a minute and then add in the shallots. Cook the shallots until they soften.
Toss the mushrooms into the pan and stir to cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the wine and return the drumsticks back into the pan. Turn the heat to high and allow it to simmer. Once the wine starts to simmer, reduce the heat to medium and leave to slow cook with the lid on for 2 hours. Add in the thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with mashed potatoes.
