Eye for a Recipe

This classic dish is perfect for Sunday dinner. Cook bacon, brown chicken pieces and set aside. Cook onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots and then add flour, wine, stock and bay leaf. Return the chicken to the pan, sprinkle with bacon and cook for about 40 minutes, uncovering halfway through. Transfer the chicken to a platter and cover to keep warm. Discard the bay leaf and boil the sauce and vegetables until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Pour sauce and vegetables over chicken and garnish with parsley to serve.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use bacon preserved with celery salt and check the thyme to make sure it does not contain colour or anti-caking agents. Use unbleached flour. I used Imagine Organic chicken stock, which is free of artificial colour and flavour and a Frogpond Farm white wine that has a sulfite level below 10 parts per million.

Brown chicken and set aside

Sauté onions and garlic

Cook carrots and mushrooms, add flour, wine and stock and return chicken to the pan

Remove chicken and keep warm, then boil sauce and vegetables until reduced. Pour over chicken.

Coq au vin

Ingredients:

3.5 lbs (1.75 kg) chicken pieces (legs and breasts)

2 onions

2 slices bacon, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb (454 g) mushrooms, quartered

3 carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tsp (5 ml) thyme

1 tsp (5 ml) salt

½ tsp (2.5 ml) pepper

¼ cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour

1.5 cups (375 ml) dry white wine

1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock

1 bay leaf

Chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

Separate chicken legs at joint. If breasts are large, cut diagonally in half. Cut onions in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise.

In Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; using slotted spoon, transfer to plate. Increase heat to medium-high and brown chicken, in batches, about 10 minutes. Add to plate with bacon.

Add onions and garlic to pan; cook over medium heat, stirring, for 5 minutes, adding up to 2 tbsp (30 ml) water if sticking to bottom. Add mushrooms, carrots, thyme, salt and pepper; cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until almost all liquid is evaporated. Stir in flour for 1 minute. Stir in wine, stock and bay leaf; bring to boil.

Nestle chicken into vegetable mixture; sprinkle bacon over top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced.

Transfer chicken to platter; cover and keep warm. Discard bay leaf. Bring sauce and vegetables to boil; boil, stirring often for 5 to 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Pour sauce and vegetables over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley. Serves 6.

From Canadian Living’s Best Weekend Pleasures

This recipe from the April 2015 issue of Food and Wine is definitely dinner party-worthy. You can use chicken drumsticks or drums and thighs. Brown the chicken, sauté bacon, vegetables and mushrooms, add wine and thyme and simmer for about 90 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Canola oil can contain artificial ingredients, so check the label. Use bacon preserved with celery salt, not nitrites. I used a red wine from Frogpond Farm that has a sulfite level lower than 10 parts per million. Imagine organic brand chicken stock is additive free.

Brown the chicken legs

Saute the bacon and vegetables

Remove the chicken while you thicken the sauce

Add the chicken back in to reheat

Chicken Legs Coq au Vin

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks (2 pounds/1 kg)

Kosher salt

Pepper

3 tablespoons (45 ml) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil

1 slice of bacon, chopped (optional)

½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped carrot

½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped onion

½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped celery

1½ cups (375 ml) chopped mushrooms (3 ounces)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½ cup (125 ml) brandy

1 tablespoon (15 ml) tomato paste

1 bottle dry red wine

1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock

2 thyme sprigs, plus chopped thyme for garnish

Preparation:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust all over with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the flour. In a large cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the bacon to the casserole and cook until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, mushrooms and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brandy and cook until reduced by half, 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of flour until incorporated. Add the wine, stock and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat, turning the chicken occasionally, until very tender, about 1 ½ hours. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Simmer the sauce until thickened and reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and discard the thyme sprigs. Return the chicken to the sauce and heat through. Garnish with chopped thyme and serve. Serves 4. Make ahead: The coq au vin can be refrigerated for 3 days.

From the April 2015 issue of Food and Wine