Coq Au Vin ~ a hearty French winter warmer

On cold, wet and wintery nights, we long for big bear-hugs from loved ones and perhaps the toasty warmth of a log-fire.

My favourite is to simply fire up the stove and the oven to warm up the place with simple comfort food. And it's difficult to go past the home-cooked French classic of Coq Au Vin, simply translated to mean "chicken in wine".

It's not hard to imagine why the French would stew their national bird in red wine when there is so much of this liquid flowing from its vineyards, and good ones too.

Therefore, the trick to this dish, in my humble opinion, is to use a more intense flavoured red with a good splash of cognac. Although the wine used by the French to braise this classic is usually Pinot Noir from the Burgundy region, I have used a Cabernet Merlot in this instance and flavours have been anything but spectacular.

Whilst some recipes recommend a whole chicken, I prefer to use different cuts to make up the entire dish simply because it is easier to prepare and serve and flavours are just as intense when the meat is fresh.
So here it is in no precise measures as I love cooking with feel rather than conforming to a precise regiment:

• 6 large Marylands (or say 8 drumsticks, 4 thigh fillets and some wings)
• Strips of thinly sliced bacon
• Button mushrooms
• Carrots (peeled) and celery (stringed and using stock only)
• Brown onions
• Continental (flat leaf) parsley
• Whole garlic cloves with skin (for that rustic country style!)
• Whole sprigs of thyme
• Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz or a blended red
• Cognac
• Chicken stock

1. Wedge brown onions, peel carrots and string celery and roughly chop into bite size pieces

2. Place Marylands into a cast iron braising pot and then combine the above vegetables with generous sprigs of thyme and red wine until the meat is completely covered with the vegetables and wine.

3. Set aside and marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

4. Remove and separate chicken, vegetables and wine.

5. Brown diced bacon in the cast iron pot then set aside.

6. Brown chicken pieces with olive oil and set aside.

7. Sautee remaining vegetables with some garlic and olive oil, then pour in Cognac and flambe with a long match stick or lighter until all alcohol has dissipated.

8. Return chicken into pot with stock and red wine and braise for approximately 30 minutes until chicken is tender. Add a little corn starch to thicken stock if required and salt to taste.

8. Serve chicken pieces on warm plate, drizzle with the stock and garnish with the crispy bacon, parsley and freshly cracked black pepper.

9. Toast loads of fresh sourdough rubbed with fresh garlic and French butter to mop up all the flavoursome gravy. 

Serves up to 6 people.