Authentic Coq Au Vin

Authentic Coq Au Vin
(adapted from Snow Country Cooking)
Serves 3-4

Ingredients

6 slices bacon
1/4 cup flour
S&P
1 Whole chicken, carved with bones and skin left on
Olive oil
1/4 cup Brandy
2 cups Red wine (one you'd drink)
1 tbsp Tomato paste
3 Cloves garlic minced
1 Pack fresh mushrooms, sliced
10 oz Pearl onions, skins removed, left whole
1 tbsp butter
4 carrots, sliced
2 medium turnips, chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth
Handful fresh parsley

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a pan, remove and set aside, reserving the fat. When cool, chop into pieces. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and set to medium heat.

2. Mix flour, s&p together in a bowl and dredge the chicken pieces. Add the chicken to the pan, browning for 5-7 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan.

3. Drain all of the fat from the pan, put chicken pieces back into the pan. **BE SAFE - turn off the oven fan, move to a counter, have the lid handy in case of fire and wear oven mitts - Add the brandy and ignite with a long match. When the flames extinguish, return the pan to the heat, adding the wine, tomato paste and garlic. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmering for 50 minutes.

**For 1/4 cup of brandy, my flames were HIGH, kind of startled me! Always be safe when lighting alcohol on fire while cooking!

4. In a medium pot, warm up 1-2 tbsp olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes until soft. Add the pearl onions and sauté for 3 minutes. Season with s&p and set aside.
- I've found the easiest way to peel the pearl onions is to chop each end off, make a slit on the side of the onions and just peel the skin off.

5. About 20 minutes before the chicken is finished simmering, heat the butter in a large pot. Add the carrots and turnip and sauté for 20 minutes.

6. Add the bacon, carrot mix, the mushroom mix, the chicken broth and a handful of parsley to the pan Bring the heat up to a light boil, cover and reduce heat to medium low for 15-20 minutes.