Coq au Vin

I've talked about my culinary fears before and this was one of them.  It is a classically French dish (which is a huge part of why it scares me) and some of the recipes out there look pretty intimidating.  But my husband really wanted this for his birthday so I put on my big girl pants and gave it a shot.  Let's just say it was a good birthday.  He could not get enough of this (in fact he said it should serve 2 instead of 4) and is already trying to make plans for us to make it for company.  And unlike most meals, this is actually even better the second day.  Hooray for leftover night!

Coq au Vin

Number of Servings: 4
Time to Prepare: 1 hour

• 1/2 cup bacon cut into 1/4" strips
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 to 5 chicken legs (about 2.5 lbs)--with bone and skin, preferably
• 1/4 cup brandy
• salt
• pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• about 20 frozen pearl onions
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 cups red wine (like Burgundy)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

Sauté bacon in oil in a deep skillet or a dutch oven until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a small bowl, leaving the drippings in the pan.

Heat the drippings over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until nicely browned on both sides. Carefully pour the brandy into the pan, then ignite it with a long lighter or match.  Let it flame for a minute, tilting the pan by its handle and swirling the sauce to burn off alcohol.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and thyme to the pan and place the onions and carrots around the chicken. Cover and simmer gently, turning the chicken once, for about 10 minutes.

Uncover the pan, sprinkle the flour over everything, and turn the chicken and onions so the flour is absorbed by the sauce. Cover and cook, turning once, for 4 minutes more.

Slowly pour in the wine and chicken broth (the liquid should almost cover the chicken). Add the bacon, garlic, and tomato paste to the pan and stir to combine (don't worry about making sure the tomato paste gets completely incorporated).  Cover and gently simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, then check to make sure the chicken is done and the onions are tender.  If needed, cook for a few more minutes.  Add the mushrooms and simmer 4 to 5 minutes. The sauce should be just thick enough to lightly coat the chicken and vegetables. If it is too thin, boil it down rapidly to concentrate; if it is too thick, thin it with spoonfuls of broth. Serve immediately over egg noodles, rice, or similar.

Source: adapted from Leite's Culinaria
Produce Used: Carrots, garlic, mushrooms