I was reading a article on river blindness and its relation to Nodding Syndrome in Africa on the New York Times website when I saw a sidebar article on classic french recipes. I obviously clicked on the link and came upon coq au vin. It seemed to be a perfect recipe for winter time in Syracuse, NY. Coq au vin was featured in Julia Child’s breakthrough cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. So, I found a more modern recipe from Ina Garten for coq au vin as listed below with some preference changes.  The dish was fabulous.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

2 strips of bacon, diced

6 skinless chicken thigh

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

5 carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1/4 cup brandy

1/4 bottle pinot noir

1 cup good chicken stock

1 fresh thyme sprig

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided

1 1/2tablespoons all-purpose flour

Large handful of cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Heat the grapeseed oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the carrots, onions, 1 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the brandy and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 60 minutes at 250F. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!