Dining In

Mountain Dining In

Coq au vin

A tasty dish that freezes well for quick meals

When the old rooster, or coq in French, lost his crow, he would find himself the main ingredient in this classic French country fricassee. Coq au vin is French for rooster with wine.

The below recipe is combined from the Joy of Cooking and three recipes from the food network. Instead of a tough old rooster, we prefer to use boneless skinless chicken breasts. This eliminates much of the fat and makes preparation easier at a minor increase in cost. This dish takes us about 1 hour to prepare, 20-30 minutes to simmer, and then onto the table for a delicious dinner. It also freezes well for quick meals at a later date.

Ingredients:

Vegetables:

3 garlic cloves (minced)

1 carrot (peeled and chopped)

1/2 large onion (chopped)

1 large shallot (chopped)

1 stalk celery (chopped)

2 cups cremini mushrooms sliced in 1/3's

Meats:

1/4 lb prosciutto (chopped)

2 - 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (sliced into 3/4" cubes)

(chicken thighs and drumsticks work equally well)

1/2 cup of flour for dredging chicken

Liquids and spices:

1 bottle Syrah wine (or any robust red wine)

2 cups chicken broth

5 sprigs fresh thyme (use just the leaves)

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons tomato paste, precisely (use a knife to level the teaspoons)

Black pepper (ground)

1/4 cup cognac or brandy

“I love to cook with wine — Sometimes I even put it in the food” quote attributed to Julia Childs and W.C. Fields

Preparation:

Chop, slice or mince the vegetables and meats.

In a large pot, brown the prosciutto in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, remove and set aside.

Add two tablespoons of olive oil to brown the garlic, shallot, and onion, remove and set aside.

Spread the flour on a flat surface and sprinkle the black pepper over it. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour and brown the chicken in the same pot. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Deglaze the bottom of the pot with some of the wine, stirring it with a spoon. Add the chicken, vegetables and prosciutto back to the pot.

Add the liquids and spices to the pot, turn on the heat and bring it to a boil, then quickly turn it down to a simmer for about 15 minutes.

Make sure you add precisely two teaspoons of tomato paste. Too much tomato paste will overwhelm the dish and make it taste muddy instead of bright and tasty.

Add the mushrooms at the last 5 or 10 minutes so they do not overcook.

The garlic skin is easily separated and removed by placing the flat blade of the knife over the garlic clove and giving the blade a sharp rap with the heel of your hand.

This small chopper is about $10 at Wal-Mart and can be dissembled to clean in the dishwasher.

Chopped garlic, shallot, onion, carrot, and prosciutto.

Lots of mushrooms make for a tasty dish.

Simmering in the pot

Served over rice this makes a great meal! It is also excellent with sour dough bread and a full bodied red wine, such as a Syrah.