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Coq au vin

Verdict: Good.

Serves 4 · about 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 12 oz (350 g) bacon, ideally slab, in big bite-size chunks
  • 6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1.5 to 2 lb / 0.7 to 1 kg)
  • 1 big pinch flour
  • 1 oz (30 g) dried mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
  • 1 cup (250 ml) red wine
  • 1 to 2 cups (250 to 500 ml) chicken stock or water
  • 1 to 2 tsp herbes de Provence, or any mix of dried thyme, rosemary and oregano
  • 1 cup frozen peeled pearl onions
  • Pepper, salt and a splash of any vinegar, to taste
  • 12 oz (350 g) dried egg noodles
  • 1 tbsp (15 g) butter
  • Fresh parsley or tarragon

Method

  1. Put the 12 oz bacon in a large, cold, lidded pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, up to 30 minutes for thick chunks.
  2. Dust the 6 to 8 chicken thighs with a big pinch of flour.
  3. Break up any large pieces of the 1 oz dried mushrooms; they double in size as they rehydrate. Pick out any worms.
  4. Optional: pour off some of the bacon fat. Push the bacon aside and fry the chicken in the fat until brown on both sides. Make a well in the centre, squeeze in 1 tbsp tomato paste, and fry it until it is about to burn. Deglaze with 1 cup red wine.
  5. Add 1 to 2 cups stock or water, enough to almost cover the chicken. Add the mushrooms, 1 to 2 tsp herbs, some pepper and a pinch of salt. Drop to a simmer and cover.
  6. After about 30 minutes, take the lid off if the sauce looks loose. When the sauce is as thick and the chicken as soft as you want, stir in 1 cup frozen pearl onions and let them thaw. Season with salt and a splash of vinegar, stirring gently so the chicken stays whole.
  7. Meanwhile, boil 12 oz egg noodles in salted water per the package. Drain, add 1 tbsp butter and let it melt. Tear in parsley or tarragon just before serving.

Notes

  • Skip the pinch of salt in step 5 if you use salt pork in place of bacon.