So tonight, while trying to figure out what in the world I'm going to serve to the kiddies, I looked in my just-stocked freezer and decided to start with 4 boneless chicken thighs. Opening up the fridge side, I spied an opened-last-week bottle of Malbec beckoning to me. It last made an appearance to deglaze the pan after I seared some steaks with peppercorn and was pining for some attention. Some celery in the veggie drawer, and a stack of carrots. Looked out my front door, and our freshly-burnt (lack of rain) rosemary asked to be thrown into something delicious and savory just to be able to feel alive, and my overgrown thyme strained its neck to be added to the pot to kick things around a bit.Oh, shush now don't you worry - you'll all go into dinner all right. I knew I wanted to serve something hearty - but not heavy - and light - but not the kind of light that recalls fresh spring days. Even the kids loved it - enough that what's left for Hubby by the time he gets home is mostly just carotte au vin. Damn.
The recipe is great to cook up on the stove on a night like tonight, when all you want to do is just cuddle up with a couple of snugglebear kids, hide under a blanket, and just chill - rather than slave in front of the stove all night long. I served this alongside a great mix of quinoa with long grain white, brown, and wild rice.
...as usual, i measured nothing. you'll know when the proportions are right - you get a great brown sauce. remember this key: the title reads coq and the vin. everyone else plays supporting roles to these two central ingredients...
Coq au vin
Ingredients
- Chicken (I used 4 thighs, but you can use which ever chicken parts you'd like. Just have enough to serve, and then some - otherwise you'll be left with just carottes too.)
- Red wine (I used a Malbec)
- Garlic (6 cloves tonight, lightly crushed with the side of my knife)
- Onion, coarse chop (1/2 of a red onion tonight)
- Carrots
- Celery (light hand - celery can really overpower a dish if used in large doses)
- Dried mushrooms (you can use fresh too - just slice thin. Use just enough to help flavor the dish.)
- Olive oil (about 2T)
- Rosemary, 1 sprig
- Thyme, about 1T
- Parsley, about 1T
- Salt
- Black pepper
Directions
1. Season chicken parts generously with salt and pepper. Marinate chicken, whole, in enough red wine to cover. While the chicken's sitting in the wine...
2. Soak dry mushrooms in a bit of warm water to reconstitute and soften. OR - slice up your fresh mushrooms of choice.
3. Crush the garlic and coarsely chop the onions, carrots, and celery.
4. In a medium-size pot (I used a 6-qt casserole pot), add olive oil and churn up the heat to medium.
5. Once oil is warmed, add garlic and onion and stir well to coat. Take care not to burn the garlic; otherwise, your dish will end up with bitter overtones. Once onion has softened, add carrots and celery. Stir well to coat all ingredients with olive oil.
6. Add mushrooms and reconstituting water. If using fresh mushrooms, add about 3/4 cup of water.
7. Add the herbs, and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
8. Add chicken pieces and wine marinade, and ladle some of the sauce in the pot onto the chicken pieces. Turn heat to medium/medium-low, and allow to gently simmer for about 30 minutes. Check on the chicken every so often to make sure it's cooking - and make sure to dunk the chicken part-way through the cooking process into the sauce to coat and allow flavors to all meld together.
9. Once the sauce browns, that's just about when the dish is ready. Enjoy alongside a starch (try potatoes, rice, even just some bread - just have something that will soak up the juices), perhaps with a corresponding glass of red!
Cheers!
