Coq au vin

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 8 chicken legs
• salt and pepper
• 250 g shallot(s) or small onions
• 250 g mushrooms, small
• 100 g bacon, streaky
• 1 bunch of herbs (bouquet garni), (1 bay leaf, 1 sprig of thyme, 1 rosemary each)
• 1 bunch parsley, flat
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• 4 cl cognac
• 750 ml red wine, strong
• 2 cloves garlic
• Nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• Baguette(s)
• some flour for dusting

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 35 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 35 minutes

Chicken in red wine

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and dust them lightly with flour all over. Peel the shallots or small onions, trim the mushrooms and leave both whole, and cut the bacon into fine strips. Make a bouquet garni (a small bouquet of herbs) using the bay leaf, the thyme and rosemary sprigs, and the parsley stalks. Reserve the parsley leaves for later. Heat 1 tablespoon of clarified butter in a large saucepan. Add the shallots, bacon, and mushrooms and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the pan and set aside. Heat the remaining clarified butter, brown the chicken thighs all over, deglaze with the cognac, and bring to a boil. Pour in the red wine and add the bouquet garni. Season with the coarsely chopped garlic cloves, salt, pepper, a little nutmeg, and a pinch of sugar. Cover and simmer for about 1 1/4 hours over low heat. Remove the bouquet garni and the meat from the pot. Reduce the sauce over high heat until it reduces considerably, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Return the poultry to the sauce, scatter the shallots, mushrooms, and bacon with their juices on top. Cover and simmer gently for another 20 minutes. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and sprinkle over the chicken. Serve the coq au vin with the white bread.