Coq au Vin

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 bottle of red wine, semi-dry (1 l)
• 10 chicken thighs with back part
• 2 large carrots
• ½ celeriac
• 300 g dried meat
• 1 kg mushrooms (small heads)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 sprig rosemary (large branches)
• 8 sprigs of thyme
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 2 cl cognac
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 onions
• 1 stalk(s) leek (small stalk)
• 1 pack of spicy Vegeta
• 1 kg shallot(s)
• 1 serving of clarified butter
• ½ liter cream
• n. B. Sauce thickener
• 1 ¼ liters of water
• 1 white bread or flatbread

Instructions

Working time approx. 3 hours; Rest period approx. 2 days; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 days 5 hours

French red wine chicken

Two days in advance, cut the chicken pieces into two pieces at the joint (leg and back) and season with Vegeta. Let it marinate in the refrigerator until the next day. One day in advance, dice the celery, carrots, leeks, onions, and jerked beef, and peel the shallots. Brown the chicken pieces in a large roasting pan with clarified butter until well browned, then remove. Once the pieces have cooled, peel off the skin and set aside; do not discard. Add the vegetables and garlic to the pan juices to brown nicely. Briefly sauté the tomato paste. Deglaze with 3/4 bottle of wine and 3/4 liter of water. Add the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Return the chicken pieces and skin to the pan and simmer gently for 25 minutes with the lid closed. The chicken pieces should be covered with liquid. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and place in the refrigerator. Brown the dried meat in an empty roasting tin, then fry the shallots for a few minutes, then fry the mushrooms for another 5 minutes. Deglaze with the rest of the wine, cognac, a little water, and the cream. Let it reduce uncovered for 45 minutes over medium heat. Once the sauce has cooled in the refrigerator, skim off the fat and return it to the roasting tin with the other ingredients. Return the chicken pieces to the roasting tin and refrigerate overnight. On the day of serving, warm everything up in the oven at 200°C for about 90 minutes until it is nice and hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste (if necessary) and thicken the sauce with a sauce thickener to taste. Simply serve with white bread or flatbread to soak up the sauce. If you prefer the meat a little darker, you can also use a stronger dark wine. I use an 8.9 l roasting tin for this dish; you really need it.