Julia Child's Coq au Vin

By Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients

1/2 cup lardons or thickly sliced bacon (cut into 1/4- by 1 1/2-inch (6- by 36-mm) strips (optional))
2 or more tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds chicken (cut into pieces (or all the same piece), thoroughly dried with paper towel)
1/4 cup Cognac or Armagnac
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
20 pearl onions (peeled)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups red wine (preferably Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, or pinot noir)
About 2 cups homemade chicken stock or beef stock
2 garlic cloves (mashed)
About 1 tablespoon store-bought or homemade tomato paste
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms (trimmed, rinsed, and quartered)
Fresh thyme sprigs (for garnish (optional))

Prep Time30mins
Cook Time60mins
Servings4

Instructions

Sear the lardons or bacon in the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.

Add the chicken, being careful not to crowd the pieces. You may need to work in batches. Sear the chicken, turning occasionally, until nicely browned on all sides. (If working in batches, return all the chicken to the pot.)

Carefully pour the Cognac into the pot and wait until it becomes bubbling hot. If desiredand if you're braveignite the sauce with a match. Let it flame for a minute, gently tilting the pot by its handle and swirling the sauce to burn off the alcohol. To extinguish the flames, simply cover the pan with its lid.

Add the bay leaf and thyme to the pan, nestle the onions around the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer gently, turning the pieces once for about 10 minutes.

Uncover the pot, sprinkle the flour over everything, and turn the chicken and onions so the flour is absorbed by the sauce. Cover and cook, turning once or twice, for 3 to 4 minutes more.

Remove the pot from the heat and gradually stir in the wine and enough stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the lardons, garlic, and tomato paste, cover, and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes.

Test the chicken for doneness. (There should be no trace of pink, and the juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife.) Transfer the pieces to the plate when they're done.

If the onions aren't quite tender, continue cooking them in the sauce, then return the chicken to the pot, add the mushrooms, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.

The sauce should be just thick enough to coat the chicken and vegetables lightly. (If the sauce is too thin, bring it to a boil and reduce it to the desired consistency. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with spoonfuls of stock.) Taste and correct the seasoning accordingly.

Serve immediately, garnished with thyme sprigs.