This is a French classic that I have always watched Anthony Bourdain time and again prepare in his usual haphazard manner on board a boat floating in the middle of nowhere. It was in one of his shows, I think either No Reservations or Parts Unknown. I can’t remember.
Anyway, so I decided that I would scour the web for the best Coq Au Vin recipe that I can find and finally decided to try this particular one on YouTube.
I think the recipe rocks.
Here’s the YouTube video link in case you want to try.
If you’re thinking of doing it, then here’s a localised recipe that you can try based on the YouTube video.
Recipe
Ingredients
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
100 grams Streaky Bacon
4 Chicken Drums with Thighs
1 Yellow Onion
2 Carrots
2 Punnets of White Button Mushrooms
6 cloves of Garlic
Half Bottle of Red Wine
1 packet of Fresh Thyme
1 Cup of Chicken Stock
1 Tbsp of Plain Flour
1 Tbsp of Butter
Sea Salt
Black Pepper
Method:
1. Add olive oil into an oven safe pot or Dutch oven as the video suggests, but any pot that can be placed in an oven is good enough, no need to buy that expensive pot. Of course, if you have that pot, then it is good because cooking in it will make your meals taste fantastic. Well, I don’t know actually.
2. Slice the Streaky Bacon into small pieces and then fry the bacon in the pot over medium heat. Fry until bacon is crispy and the oil has been infused with the saltiness of the bacon.
3. Turn off the fire and remove the bacon with a slotted spoon or in my case, I used a wire mesh scoop. You can use anything actually as long as you can separate the bacon from the oil in the pot.
4. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and as soon as you have done that, quickly place the chicken pieces into the pot to fry. Do this until the chicken pieces are gold brown and crispy.
5. Once the chicken pieces are browned, take them out and place aside.
6. Dice the yellow onion and then fry it in the pot at medium heat. Then chop the carrots into one inch pieces and add to the pot to cook as well. Add the quartered mushrooms into the pot. Then smash 6 cloves of garlic and add into the pot to fry.
7. Pour in half a bottle of red wine. You can use any type of red wine. I use Cabernet Sauvignon.
8. Add back in the bacon bits. Stir thoroughly.
9. Now add the chicken pieces back into the stew. Add the whole packet of Thyme and drizzle in the cup of chicken stock.
10. Pre-heat your oven to fan mode at 180 degrees. Then place the entire pot into the oven with lid on and bake for 45 minutes.
11. After 45 minutes, take the pot out and continue to cook under medium heat and pour the beurre manie paste into the stew. This will thicken the stew a little into a sauce.
12. Preparing the Beurre Manie is simple. It is actually a combination of 1 Tbsp plain flour and 1 Tbsp butter. Simple. Stir the two ingredients into a paste and it is ready to be mixed.
This is another all-time classic soup stock for infants who are ready to eat watery rice porridge.
However it is an acquired taste for my boy, maybe it would have been more palatable if I added red dates.
But this is a super easy two ingredient soup stock. It’s really a no-brainer.
Recipe
Ingredients
Watercress
Chicken carcass
Method
1. Place chicken bones in the pot. Then place watercress on top of chicken. Add 1.5 litres of water. Turn up the heat until boiling and then slow down to a simmer.
2. When you smell the flavour of the soup and see the fat of the chicken on the surface of the broth it is ready.
