Coq au Vin

Although the official first day of fall is two weeks away, I feel like summer is over after Labour day.  I start noticing how the days have become shorter, mornings are bit cooler and all I want to do is curl up on the couch and read a good book.

When it comes to cooking, I’m always excited to revisit recipes I put aside during summer.  During the warmer months, I prefer lighter recipes such as grilled meats on the BBQ and crisp salads with fresh ingredients from the market.  As autumn approaches, I crave those hardy dishes that warm you up when it’s cold outside.

My favorite dish for fall is my mom’s Coq au Vin.  This was one of the first “go-to” recipe I added to my repertoire.   It’s very easy to make and I personally find that although you can prepare this dish and eat it right away, it is much better when frozen and eaten on a later day.  I’m not sure why that is it but I like to believe that something magical happens in the freezer when I shut the door and the Coq au Vin comes out even more delicious!

Coq au vin is originally a dish from the Burgundy region of France.  The traditional version of this recipe consists of poultry, red wine, lardons (thin pieces of bacon), pearl onions and mushrooms.  I substituted the pearl onions for chopped ones mostly because I hate to peel pearl onions but feel free to use them if you have you prefer their taste.

Coq au Vin

yields 4 portions

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts cut in half 
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 slices of bacon, chopped in 1-inch pieces
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 cups of red wine (which means leftover wine in the bottle and a nice glass for the cook!)
• 4 cups of beef consommé (not beef broth!)

Directions
Season the chicken with salt & pepper.

Pour the flour in a shallow bowl and coat the chicken. 

Heat up the oil and butter in a large pot or Dutch Oven over medium heat.

Add the bacon and fry until the pieces for 3 or 4 minutes. 

When the pieces start to brown, add the chicken and cook until the breasts are golden brown.

Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms.  Cook for a few more minutes.

Incorporate the wine, the beef consommé and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour without covering the pot.

When the Coq au Vin is ready you can devour right away or let the dish cool down to freeze.  Once cooled, place in a large resealable freezer bag, label and freeze.

To heat up, thaw the Coq au Vin and warm up in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

I like to serve the Coq au Vin on a bed of egg noodles or on top of fluffy mashed potatoes.

You can also serve an en croûte version.  Similar to a chicken pot pie, place the warm Coq au Vin in a deep dish and cover with a store bought puff pastry sheet.  Cook the puff pastry as directed.

Bon Appétit!



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