Clean Coq au Vin
Don't be daunted by this French classic – it's an easy and delicious reason to invite company for dinner tonight. Many recipes suggest serving this chicken, mushroom and onion braise over buttered noodles, but whole-grain country bread would also be a good accompaniment.
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Make dinner memorable! Finish with a clean Crème Brûlée.
Ingredients
- 6 7-oz bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3 oz all-natural turkey bacon, no added nitrates or nitrites, cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips
- 1 tsp ground black pepper, plus additional, to taste
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus additional, to taste
- 24 pearl onions (about 4 oz), peeled (NOTE: To easily peel onions, cut an X into the root end of each, then cook them in boiling water for about 1 minute. Drain and set aside to cool, then slip off skins.)
- 2 stalks celery, cut into ½-inch slices
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch slices
- 1 lb cremini mushrooms (halved if large)
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp white whole- wheat flour
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 large fresh thyme sprigs
- 4 large fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, plus 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 2 small bay leaves
Preparation
- In a large resealable bag, combine chicken and wine. Seal bag, squeezing out as much air as possible, and set aside in refrigerator to marinate for 12 to 48 hours. Remove chicken from marinade, reserving marinade, and pat pieces dry. Set aside.
- In a Dutch oven, braising pan or large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat 1 tbsp oil on medium-low. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a large plate and set aside.
- Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to pan and heat on medium-high. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with pepper and salt. Working in batches, add chicken to pan and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate with bacon.
- To pan, add onions, celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes (if pan is getting too brown, lower heat to medium). Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle in flour, stirring until evenly incorporated. Add marinade and scrape up any browned bits in pan with a spoon. Stir in broth, thyme, parsley sprigs and bay leaves.
- Return chicken and bacon to pan, nestling chicken into liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer chicken and vegetables to plates or a platter, discarding parsley and thyme sprigs. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper and spoon a little over the chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve remaining sauce at the table.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 chicken thigh, 3/4 cup vegetables, 1/3 cup sauce
- Calories 272
- Carbohydrate Content 13 g
- Cholesterol Content 125 mg
- Fat Content 11 g
- Fiber Content 2 g
- Protein Content 30 g
- Saturated Fat Content 2 g
- Sodium Content 423 mg
- Sugar Content 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 2 g