Coq au Vin

Deb's culinary expertise:

Both my husband and meself love to sample new cuisines. So when we plan any new trip, we try and sample the exotic cuisines available in our destination. Be it Mofongos in Puerto Rico or Alligator meat snacks in another city, its always up our alley. And when hubby dearest dons the chef's cap once a week, its something exotic which reaches my plate. The man loves to experiment and with his culinary skills, its always a tasty experiment. With my obsession for everything French and with France not featuring in our itineraries in the recent future, Deb took me on a culinary journey to Paris.

Coq au Vin, or chicken cooked in wine was the Sunday dinner menu in the Dasgupta household. Burgundy wine from the French region of Bourgogne, is the best ingredient for stirring up Coq au Vin. If Burgundy wine is not available, try out any full bodied red.

Coq au Vin:

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon
• 1 whole chicken
• Flour for dredging
• Salt and pepper
• Butter
• 1 whole garlic, chopped
• 10 pearl onions, peeled
• 8-10 mushrooms, chopped
• 2 carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup cognac or brandy
• 1 bottle burgundy wine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• Italian herb seasonings
• 3 bay leaves
• Tomato paste(of around two tomatoes)
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Procedure:

In a large pan, fry the bacon slices, over medium heat, until crisp.

Transfer the fried bacon slices to paper towels. Dredge/Coat the chicken pieces in flour, salt and pepper. Fry and brown chicken in the bacon fat on both sides.Add a dash of butter.

Saute the onions, garlic, mushrooms and carrots, with the chicken, to soften.

Pour the cognac/brandy in a cup.

Remove the pan from heat.

Pour the cognac/brandy in the pan, and put the pan back on the stove.

Flambe by lighting a long match and holding it just above the pan and light the fumes.

The brandy/cognac will catch fire and the

flames will burn out within 1 minute.

Gradually stir in the wine and the chicken broth, when the flames have died down.

Add in the herbs and bay leaves when the wine is well blended.

Cover and simmer for an hour.

Remove the cover and simmer for 15 minutes to reduce the gravy.

Add the tomato paste to thicken the gravy further.

Garnish the chicken with chopped parsley and crumbled bacon before serving.

As they say in French, Bon Appetit!!!