Coq Au Vin

Ingredients:

• Ideally a rooster, or 1 or 2 chickens (1.5kg ), cut into 8 pieces or more
• 1/2 bottle of full-body Burgundy red wine or Cotes du Rhone
• 6 diced bacon slices
• 250gm button mushrooms
• A dozen small white onions
• 2-3 mashed cloves of garlic
• 2 peeled and quartered carrots
• Sunflower oil
• Unsalted butter
• Bouquet of herbs: 2 sprigs of thyme and 1 bay leaf, tied all together with string
• Parsley
• Salt
• Pepper
• If cooking the same day, add 1/4 cup of cognac or brandy

Method:

1. A day in advance, clean and cut the rooster/chicken in 8 pieces or more. Pour half a bottle of red Burgundy wine over.
2. Add the small white onions, the quartered peeled carrots and the herbs. Cover and put in the fridge.
3. The next day, remove and drain the chicken and vegetables. Put the wine aside for later use.
4. Brown the chicken pieces with oil in a skillet. Remove the chicken. Using the same skillet, add garlic to the vegetables and heat for a couple of minutes
5. Put the chicken and the vegetables in a large sauce pan. Pour the wine and add salt and pepper.
6. Bring to a boil at moderate heat.
7. Cover and cook at low heat for 1 or 2 hours.
8. Heat bacon, onion and mushrooms in a skillet until brown (10 minutes).
9. When the chicken is ready, add bacon, onion and mushrooms in the pan, cook and stir for 2 or 3 minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning.
10. Add parsley to the chicken when finish. Prepare rice or potatoes to serve with Coq au vin.
11. For cooking the same day: In step 5, do not pour the wine in the pan now. Pour instead cognac or brandy over the chicken. Ignite the spirit with a match. Be extra careful the heat is off and your face away. Shake the pan for a few seconds. You can now pour the wine in the pan and follow the recipe as indicated.