Simplified Coq Au Vin

Simplified Coq Au Vin

I hate to sacrifice flavor and culinary exploration on account of difficult recipes and ingredients I can't pronounce. I suppose if I had no kids and was in need of cooking therapy, I might cook through Julia's cookbook in purist fashion as others have. However, as neither are the case, I'm once again simplifying a traditional recipe for all that is comforting and divine in French cooking...minus the fuss.

First off: Coq Au Vin means chicken with wine. It's pronounced kohk-oh-vahn. Okay, now there's nothing we can't pronounce.

Here are the basics:

Prep all your ingredients: garlic, mushrooms, bacon, and dredge chicken strips in a ziploc bag:

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Fry up some bacon. {Bacon may be my husband's love language.}

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Brown the dredged chicken.

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Deglaze with red wine.

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Add everything back in, and simmer to perfection.

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If you want to do it the traditional way, see Julia.

or, you could take it easy tonight, and make:

Simplified Coq Au Vin

  • 5 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 lbs. boneless chicken strips
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 2 cups frozen pearl onions, or 1 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 2 cups sliced white mushrooms
  • 1 1/2 red wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne powder
  • handful of chopped parsley

Combine flour and all dry spices in a gallon ziploc bag. Place chicken strips into flour mixture, seal bag, and coat evenly.

In a heavy enameled cast iron dutch oven, fry up bacon until crisp. Remove bacon pieces and reserve. Discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon grease. In the same pan, brown the pieces of chicken on both sides. Remove from pan, and set aside. Melt butter in same pan. Saute onions and mushrooms in pan. Deglaze pan with wine and chicken stock, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add bacon and browned chicken back into pan. Simmer on medium for 30 minutes or until chicken is done and sauce is thickened. Ad parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over wide egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

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