Slow Cooked Coq au Vin
October 15th 2010 22:36
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The history of the French dish
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Coq au Vin
My version of Coq au Vin in the slow cooker
Basically translated as 'chicken with wine' it has been suggested that it has its roots as far back as Julius Caesar.
Legend says that Julius Caesar's cook created the first Coq au Vin recipe, after the Gauls gave Caesar a tough old rooster to remember his conquering them. The cook decided to cook it and serve it back to them.
It is more likely that the dish evolved in France and because it was often a tough old rooster used, the dish was slow cooked.
You can use either red or white wine, although red is more common.
While three out of four of us enjoyed it's amazing flavour, my younger son, who could be called a conoisseur for buttered toast, found it not so much to his liking.
Ingredients
20 spring onions (500g)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 rindless bacon slices (390g), thinly sliced
440g (14 ounces) button mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1.8kg (3 3/4 pound) whole chicken
2 cups (500ml) dry red wine
2 medium carrots (240g), chopped coarsely
3 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups (375ml) chicken stock
1/4 cup (35g) tomato paste
1/4 cup (70g) cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tablespoons water
Method
1. Trim green ends from onions, leaving about 4cm (1 1/2 inches) of stem attached; trim roots leaving onions intact. Heat half the oil in large frying pan; cook onions, stirring, until browned all over, remove from pan. Add bacon, mushrooms and garlic to same pan; cook, stirring, until bacon is crisp, remove from pan.
2. Cut chicken into 12 pieces, heat remaining oil in same pan; cook chicken, in batches, until browned all over; drain on absorbent paper. Add wine to same pan; bring to the boil, stirring.
3. Place chicken in 4.5 litre (18-cup) slow cooker with onions, bacon and mushroom mixture, carrot, herbs, stock, wine mixture and paste. Cook, covered, on low, 7 hours.
4. Stir in blended cornflour and the water; cook, covered, on high, about 20 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Season to taste.
Serves 6
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Thanks for your comments. It really was delicious. Now that the kids have started up little athletics for summer I will be trying alot more slow cooked meals on the evenings we get home late, LOL.
Sam