Coq au vin recipe

By Kate Belcher

Serve 4
Takes about 1 hour to make, plus overnight marinating and cooling
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A tasty one-pot recipe for the classic chicken dish – eat some and freeze the rest.

Ingredients

75cl bottle good red wine
4 tbsp brandy
12 pickling onions or small shallots, unpeeled
4 free-range chicken thighs and 4 drumsticks, with skin on
2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
2 medium carrots, thickly sliced
2 garlic cloves, bruised
2 bay leaves
Few fresh thyme sprigs, plus extra to garnish
25g plain flour, seasoned, plus 1 tbsp
1 tbsp olive oil
15g butter
2 x 70g packs diced pancetta (or use chopped streaky bacon)
250g chestnut mushrooms, wiped clean and halved if large
Small handful chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Method

1. Pour the wine and brandy into a pan and boil over a high heat for 5 minutes, until reduced by a third. Set aside. Place the onions in a bowl, pour over boiling water and leave for 5 minutes. Drain, cool slightly then peel and halve. Put in a bowl with the chicken pieces, celery, carrots, garlic, bay and thyme. Pour over the wine and turn to coat. Cover and chill overnight, turning occasionally.
2. The next day, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Drain the chicken mixture well, reserving the wine. Pick out the chicken and pat dry on kitchen paper. Toss the chicken in the seasoned flour to coat.
3. Heat the oil and butter in a large casserole over a medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
4. Add the chicken to the fat in the hot casserole (it should all fit in a snug, single layer), and cook for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned all over. Set aside.
5. Add the drained vegetables and herbs to the casserole with the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon flour, cook for 1 minute, then gradually stir in the wine. Season, return the chicken and pancetta to the pan, and bring to the boil. Cover and cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with some mash.

Nutritional info

Per serving: 506kcals, 23.1g fat (7.8g saturated), 46.2g protein, 17.4g carbs, 7.1g sugar, 1.8g salt

Chef's tip

To freeze: transfer to a container, label and freeze for up to 3 months. To eat: defrost at room temperature for 10 hours, or in the fridge for 24 hours. Bring up to room temperature. Reheat in a casserole or large, deep frying pan over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until piping hot. Add a dash of hot water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Discard the bay and thyme. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve with mash.