Coq au Vin
Julia Child
2 1/2 to 3 pounds frying chicken parts
2 tbs. butter
1 tbs. olive oil (or good cooking oil)
4 ounces (1-by-1/4-inch strips of blanched slab bacon or salt pork) (optional)
3/4 cups onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1 or 2 large cloves of garlic, pureed
2 Tbl flour
Fresh parsley sprigs (or chopped parsley)
1 Tbl Chervil or Marjoram
1 bay leaf
1/ teas thyme
1 teas.Salt
1/8 ground pepper
1/3 cup good brandy (optional)
3 cups young red wine (Zinfandel, Macon or Chianti type)
Beurre manie, for the sauce (1 1/2 tbs. each flour softened butter blended to a paste)
3 cups fresh mushrooms, trimmed, quartered and sautéed
1 cup chicken stock (or more)
12 to 16 small brown-braised pearl onions
Browning and simmering the chicken:
Before browning the chicken, sauté the bacon or salt pork and remove to a side dish, leaving the fat in the pan. Brown the chicken in the pork fat, adding a little olive oil, if needed. Flame the chicken with the brandy, if you wish -- it does give its own special flavor, besides being fun to do. Then proceed to simmer the chicken in the wine, stock and seasoning as directed in the master recipe.
Finishing the dish:
Strain, degrease, and finish the sauce, also as described. Strew the braised onions and sautéed mushrooms over the chicken, baste with the sauce, and simmer a few minutes, basting, to rewarm the chicken and to blend flavors
