Coq au Vin

The slow cooker and I are becoming better friends lately especially after making Coq au Vin in it.  To me this is comfort food at it’s best.  I’ve found I have better success with the slow cooker when I use it as a tool and don’t just dump everything in and go.  Everyone loves Coq au Vin and part of why it’s so delicious is that you utilize the juice from the chicken and bacon to brown the mushrooms and make the sauce. Once everything has been browned, then you let it cook slowly so all the flavors seep into the chicken.  Not only is the chicken tender, but the red wine, mushrooms, bacon and onions combine for the most marvelous dish.

You still have to go through all the steps you would if you were cooking the regular version.  You will saute the chicken on the stove, then remove the chicken and cook the bacon. Remove the bacon and using some of the bacon and chicken fat you brown the mushrooms.  Once browned, add your seasoning and wine and finally you pour it over the chicken in the slow cooker.

Normally this simmers in the oven for hours, but the slow cooker works perfect for this, maybe even better than the oven.  I think Julia Child would approve of this version.  I did use frozen pearl onions, because who has time to peal all those little onions and I think the frozen ones are pretty close to fresh. I think you’ll love the rich flavor from the sauce. I didn’t change a thing from the recipe from Cook’s Country, we all thought it was perfect just as written.

Cooks’ Country April/May 2017

Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin in the slow cooker gives you comfort food without having to heat up your kitchen.  The flavors would make Julia Child proud and is sure to be a family favorite.

• Author: Barbara Curry
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 4-6 hours
• Total Time: -26623407.6333 minute
• Yield: 6-8 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs with bone and skin
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions
• 4 thick slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 10 ounces mushrooms, quartered
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 ¾ cups red wine
• fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a 12 inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and add chicken, skin side down. Cook until well browned, 7-10 minutes and transfer skin side up to the slow cooker. Add onions to the slow cooker.
2. Pour the juices from the pan into a large measuring cup and set aside. Add bacon to the skillet and cook until crispy. Using a slotted spoon remove to a paper towel lined plate. Pour bacon fat into the measuring cup with the juices from the chicken. Add 1/4 cup of the mixture to the empty skillet and add mushrooms. Cook until browned about 5-7 minutes.
3. Stir in flour, tomato paste, garlic and thyme and cook for about a minute. Add wine and bring to a simmer. Pour sauce over chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4-6 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. When ready to serve, remove chicken to a serving plate and season sauce with salt and pepper, spoon over chicken and top with bacon and parsley.