Coq Au Vin

Legend has it that Coq Au Vin was created thanks to Napoleon Bonaparte when he was travelling in some small town in France. He went to an inn and demanded food be served at the end of the day when there was hardly anything left. The inn’s cook had only a handful of ingredients: a small fowl, some vegetables and some vinegar. What he concocted from all the ingredients resulted in a mouth watering classic dish that is still considered one of the best dishes in French cuisine. Try this recipe if you are having a fancy dinner at home and want to impress the guests with your culinary skills.

Health benefits

This is a very healthy dish as it is protein packed, minimal use of oil and has fresh herbs to complement the flavor. A low carb and high protein  meal, it will not only please your palette but be easy on the calories.

Ingredients

plain flour: 1/4 cup

black pepper: 1 tbsp

chicken cutlets: 8

garlic cloves--crushed: 4

extra virgin olive oil: 2 tbsp

rashers turkey bacon (chopped and trimmed)8 baby brown pickling onions (halved): 4

brown mushrooms (halved): 300 g

white grape juice (you can also use pomegranate or cranberry juice instead): 2 cups

white vinegar: 2 tbsp

Chicken stock: 1 cup

fresh bay leaves: 2

tomato paste: 4 tbsp

freshly chopped parsley plus some extra to garnish: 2 tbsp

mashed potatoes

How To Make Coq Au Vin

1. Place all the flour in a plastic snap-lock bag and add the pepper. Place the chicken inside the bag and seal it. Shake the bag so that the chicken is properly coated with all the flour.
2. In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add the olive and heat it for a minute or so. Add the chicken in 2 batches. Let the chicken cook for 5 minutes on both sides and transfer it to the plate.
3. Add the onions, turkey bacon and mushrooms to the saucepan and cook for 5-8 minutes or until the onions start to become tender. Add the garlic and keep stirring until it is fragrant.
4. Add the grape juice along with the vinegar and stir for a minute.
5. Add the thyme, bay leaves and tomato paste and keep stirring until fully combined.
6. Return he chicken back to the saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 30-35 minutes. Remove and throw away the sprigs and the bay leaves.
7. Add in the parsley and stir a little.
8. Sprinkle extra parsley when serving.
9. Serve with mash potatoes or choice of cooked vegetables on the side.

Trivia

• French cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines of the world. There is a lot of detail and emphasis given to everything in the ingredients along with excellent presentation of the meal.

The French don’t consider food merely for eating but think of it as a culture on its own.