Monday, February 13, 2012

Easy Coq au Vin


 

Coq au Vin is traditionally made with a bone-in chicken pieces, lard, butter, olive oil. pearl onions, whole mushrooms, chicken stock, wine, garlic, thyme, and flour.  The lard, aka pork fat, is rendered and then the chicken is browned in the lard and removed. Next the onions and mushrooms are browned in it, removed and a gravy is made from the rest of the ingredients.  Then the chicken and vegetables are returned to the gravy and cooked over low heat unitl the chicken is done, which is usually an hour or so.  So the big question is, can french food really be easy?
Yes, french food can be EASY. This looks like it was a lot of stressful cooking but it is very easy.  Start with pre-cooked chicken, cut into chunks, use packaged, cleaned mushrooms that are pre-sliced, chop up an onion, throw in some thyme, a little garlic, flour, and tomato paste.  Use left over wine, if there is any, or better yet, open a bottle, add some chicken bouillon and let it simmer 25 minutes.   The chicken does somewhat fall apart because it is browned with the onions and thyme so that it will absorb the flavors since this is a quick version. Cook some rice or noodles and the meal is done.  No Kidding.

4 cups of Cooked Chicken, chopped
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, I used Sepay Groves
4 Tablespoons of Flour
1 10 ounce bag of washed and sliced Mushrooms
1/4 cup of Brandy
1/4 teaspoon of Thyme
2 cups of Red Wine
3 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
2 cups of water
1 1/2 teaspoons of chopped garlic
1 Tablespoon of Tomato paste

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium then add chicken, onion and thyme.  Cook until the onion turns clear.  Add flour and allow to brown. Pour in Brandy. Add wine, bouillon,water garlic and tomato paste.  Cover and allow to simmer for 25 minutes or until gravy thickens.  Serve over rice or noodles. C'est delicieux!

Enjoy!

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