Coq au Vin

INGREDIENTS

• 8 chicken thighs
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp pepper
• 2 c red wine (Merlot is good)
• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 4 strips bacon, diced
• 8 oz button mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

PREPARATION

1. Remove skin from chicken.Place chicken in gallon zipper bag.
2. Add half the onion, the cloves, the thyme, bay leaf, 1 tsp salt, and pepper.
3. Pour in wine. Seal. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
4. Line a plate with paper towels.
5. Reserving marinade, place chicken pieces on paper-lined plate.
6. Dab the top of the chicken with another paper towel.
7. Heat 1 tsp EVOO in Dutch oven over medium heat.
8. Cook bacon until crisp; remove with slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate.
9. Place chicken in pot and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes
10. Use tongs to transfer to a large bowl; set aside to cool quickly.
11. Add 2 tsp oil and cook mushrooms and remaining onion and 1/2 tsp salt, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the onions are brown, the mushrooms have released their liquid and the pan is somewhat dry, about 10-15 minutes.
12. Return the chicken to the pot. Pour marinade over chicken.
13. Bring to boil over high, reduce to medium-low and half-cover the pan.
14. Simmer about 75 minutes, until the chicken is very tender.
15. Remove and discard bay leaf. Transfer chicken to plates.
16. Stir the butter into the sauce and cook until melted.
17. Turn off the heat and stir in the crispy bacon.
18. Serve sauce over chicken.

( Ten Dollar Dinners - kindle )

-- JMag Guthrie - 2016-12-05