
If you are in New York City you know that although it is technically spring, it still feels like winter. Most of last week was very windy and cold. We were too spoiled with short winters last year and now we are being babies about this one. The one good thing about this long winter is we get to enjoy stews for a little longer (not that I wouldn’t cook stew in the spring or summer mind you). I decided to make this classic french stew: Coq au vin!
Stews are so easy to make, and a great way to use veggies. This was the first time I made coq au vin. This French stew is usually made with a rooster but you can use chicken as well as I did. coq au vin is essentially chicken, bacon, veggies and wine. What’s not to like?!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of thick cut bacon, chopped
1 1/2-2lbs bone in chicken
3-5 carrots
3/4 medium white onion
1 medium shallot
4 garlic cloves
1 pckg of fresh mushrooms
2 tbs butter
2-3 bay leaves
4 sprigs of thyme (remove the stems)
Fresh parsley
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 bottle of red wine (not too sweet - I used Shiraz)
3-4 oz of cognac
6-7 black peppercorns
1 tbs tomato paste
Salt and pepper
1 tbs flour

INSTRUCTIONS:
Start by washing and chopping up the carrots, onions, shallots, garlic and mushrooms.

Using a large and heavy pot cook the bacon on medium heat. Cook the bacon for 5-6 minutes until it starts to crisp up. Be mindful not to let it burn.

Wash and season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aide for now.

Remove the bacon from the pot and add the chicken, skin side down. Brown the chicken for about 7-8 minutes.


Remove the bacon from the pot and add the chicken, skin side down. Brown the chicken for about 7-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another skillet melt the butter.

Add the mushrooms and season them with salt and pepper. Cook the mushrooms on low heat.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.


Add the chopped onions, carrots, shallots and garlic to the pot.


Remove the onions and carrots from the pot and set aside. (Lots of adding and removing here hahahaha!)

Add the chicken back to the pot and pour in the cognac.

Light a match or a lighter so the cognac ignites!

Once the flames go down it is time to add everything to the pot. Add the onions and carrots, mushrooms, bacon, bay leaves and thyme.

Add the tomato paste, 1/2 of the bottle of wine and chicken stock. Mix the tomato paste in and braise covered for 30 minutes.

Mix in the flour with a few spoonfuls of the broth and use it to thicken up the stew.

Mix in the flour with the stew and add the remaining wine to the stew.

Cook for another 5-10 minutes and serve.

Top with fresh parsley and serve with some crusty bread and red wine and enjoy!

This is such a happy and filling dish.

I used the bread to soak up the broth. Emil and I ate the whole thing. This was delicious and we kept going back to the pot for refills.

When I first started cooking this I was nervous because it seemed like such a daunting task but it ended up being quite easy. I found that having the ingredients cut up and ready to go really eased up the process.
I hope you try making this at home. My parents are in town so I might try making this for them sometime soon.
This is all for now. I hope you had a great weekend and an even better week ahead.
xoxo,
Josie




The train ride from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes.
Bus ride from Aguas Calientes to the entrance of Machu Picchu National Park.













































