I chose to do two dinner recipes for France because in France it is traditional to serve a three course meal consisting of an entrée, main course and a dessert. French onion soup was my entrée, so coq au vin is my main course. Coq au vin is a dish of chicken braised with red wine, lardons and mushrooms. When searching for recipes, in my mom's extensive cookbook collection, I came across a vintage copy of Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which was given to my mom after it's owner, my grandmother's cousin Ellen, passed away from cancer. The book was found in her house, and it was stuffed with little mementoes from the time period, including a Time Magazine cover with Julia Child on it and a handwritten family recipe for French croissants. It was so lovely to enjoy this meal and toast her with my family, and I hope you can give it a try!
Ingredients:
3-4 oz chunk of lean bacon
2 Tbs butter
2 1/2 to 3 lbs cut-up frying chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup cognac
3 cups young, full-bodied red wine such as Burgundy, Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône or Chianti
1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock, brown stock or canned beef bouillon
1/2 TB tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1 bay leaf
12 to 24 brown-braised pearl onions (I chopped up a white onion)
1/2 lb. sautéed mushrooms
3 Tbs flour
2 Tbs softened butter
Directions:
1. Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons (rectangles 1/4 inch across and 1 inch long). Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse in cold water. Dry.
2. Sauté the bacon slowly in hot butter until it is very lightly browned. Remove to a side dish.
3. Dry the chicken thoroughly. Brown it in the hot fat in the casserole.
4. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the casserole with the chicken. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.
5. Uncover, and pour in the cognac. Averting your face, ignite the cognac with a lighter or match. Shake the casserole back and forth for several seconds until the flames subside.
6. Pour the wine into the casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and its juices run a clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. Remove the chicken to a side dish.
7. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.
8. Simmer the chicken cooking liquid in the casserole for a minute or two, skimming off the fat. Then raise heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Add salt and pepper for seasoning. Remove from heat, and discard bay leaf.
9. Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (beurre manié). Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to a simmer, stirring, and simmer for a minute or two. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
10. Serve from casserole and serve with bread on the side (preferably baguette).
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