Coq au Vin is a timeless dish that loved by nearly everyone during the cold weather.

Whole chicken cut into pieces, marinated in red wine with mirepoix and aromatic herbs for at least 12 hours, then braised with vegetables and gently simmered to enhance the flavors.

It usually served  with starchy sides such as mashed potatoes or noodles. In my case, I added cooked fusilli pasta which paired perfectly in capturing the rich sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bottle of dry wine (750 ml)

1 whole organic chicken cut into pieces

3 ounces thick cut smoked bacon

½ pound mushrooms

1 Bouquet Garni*

1 carrots peels and diagonally cut to 1 inch pieces

4 cloves garlic minced

1 onion chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt/ freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups chicken stock or water

1/2 cup cooked fusilli pasta

STEPS:

Cover the chicken in red wine, add bay leaf, parsley stems, thyme and rosemary sprigs and let it marinated overnight in the fridge.

Drain the chicken and dry with paper towel, season generously with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large pan over high heat and start searing the chicken until the skin is crispy brown, then set aside.

In the same pan, over medium high heat cook the bacon until crisp, then discard all the excess fat and transfer to paper towel.

Cook the chopped onion until translucent, add the mushroom and pearl onion and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the carrots, chopped garlic add the flour stirring frequently as well as scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Add the seared chicken back to the pot, the bacon, the red wine, the chicken stock, tomato paste and the bouquet Garni.

Reduce heat to medium high and let simmer for about 1:30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

Add short cooked pasta and garnish with chopped parsley.

If you desire thicker sauce, transfer the chicken to a plate and set the pot over medium high heat and let simmer until the desired thickness.

Add the cooked pasta and serve hot.

Bouquet Garni: in cheesecloth combine 4 parsley stems, 1 bay leaf, 2 fresh thyme sprigs or any available aromatic herbs such as sage, rosemary, tarragon, oregano, cilantro, and 1 teaspoon pepper corns,) tie with a twine to secure.