COQ AU VIN BLANC

COQ AU VIN BLANC
Chicken Braised in White Wine


Ingredients
3-4 lbs. Chicken, cut up
3 tbsp. Pork fat (or vegetable oil for Kosher)
2 c. Dry, full-bodied white wine (White Burgundy, Chardonnay)
1 c. Chicken stock
1 Carrot, peeled and sliced on the bias
4 oz. Frozen pearl onions (or fresh, peeled)
1/2 c. Half-and-half (or Hood’s Country Creamer®)
1 c. Sautéed mushrooms
3 cloves Garlic, smash-peeled
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp. Dried thyme
1/2 tsp. Dried rosemary
1 tbsp. Tomato paste
2 tbsp. Chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
A few grates Nutmeg (fresh)

Directions
    • Preheat the oven to 325F.
    • In a Dutch oven, melt the fat over medium heat.
    • Rinse and pat dry the chicken.
    • Season each piece with some salt and pepper.
    • Brown the chicken on all sides until golden.  Breasts and thighs start skin-side down.  Brown in batches, if necessary, to avoid overcrowding the pot.
    • Set aside on a plate.
    • Retain about 4 tbsp. of the fat and renderings.
    • Add the carrot and pearl onions, and sautée until lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes.
    • Push the vegetables aside, and caramelized the tomato paste a bit, about 1-2 minutes should do the job.
    • Add the stock and stir to combine.
    • Add the reserved chicken, then the vegetables, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves.
    • Pour the wine over all the chicken and vegetables.
    • Raise the heat and bring to a simmer.
    • Cover and place in the oven for 1-1/2 hours, or until your instant-read meat thermometer registers 165F at the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone.
    • Check the pot every 20 or so minutes.  Adjust the oven temperature as necessary so that the pot just barely simmers.
    • Remove the chicken using tongs, and set aside on a plate tented with foil.
    • Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon, and set aside in a bowl.
    • Strain the sauce through a large sieve into a large sauce pan.
    • Return the chicken to the Dutch oven, and spread over evenly with the sauteed mushrooms, and braised vegetables.
    • In the sauce pan, skim the fat off the sauce, and simmer 1-2 minutes;  skim off any more fat that surfaces.
    • Add the milk and nutmeg, and continue to simmer to thicken.
    • You should have a copious amount of the sauce, and it should be thick enough to easily coat a spoon.
    • If sauce is too thick, add a little vegetable or chicken stock until consistency is right.  If it's too thin, quickly boil the sauce down to correct thickness.
    • Adjust seasoning as necessary.
    • Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables.
    • Cover the casserole and simmer over low flame for 2-3 minutes, basting the chicken and vegetables occasionally.
    • Garnish with the parsley.
    • Transfer to a large tureen or serving bowl and serve hot.

Pretty much a classic recipe in concept and execution.  It is well accompanied by buttered egg noodles, and the same dry white wine used in braising or a white zinfandel.


From the blog, “WHAT A DUMPLING!” Copyright © 2015-2023, Davis Peterson All rights reserved. Subject to international copyright regulations.

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