- 1 ounce porcini mushrooms reconstituted in 1 cup hot water
- ¾ cup diced carrot
- 2 chicken legs (preferably free range, organic, and air chilled)
- 1 quart sweet brine
- 4 tablespoons pickling salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 quart water
- 2 ounces diced pancetta
- 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced thickly
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian parsley
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Wondra® flour
- 1 tablespoon brandy
- ¼ cup red wine (I keep some 187 ml bottles of Woodbridge® Merlot around to cook with)
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Organic Reduced Sodium Roasted Chicken Base
Put chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag with the brine. Put in refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove chicken from brine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper.
Drain porcini mushrooms in a sieve over a bowl. Rinse the mushrooms, dice them, and set aside. Strain the reconstituting liquid through a coffee filter into a measuring cup. If necessary, add water to bring liquid up to 1 cup.
Put carrots in a microwavable bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water, cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Set aside.
Heat a 4 quart sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the olive oil begins to shimmer, add chicken skin side down. Cook 6 minutes. Turn and cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium and add pancetta. Cook until browned and crispy (abut 6 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Pour all the fat into a small dish. Return 2 tablespoons fat to pan and heat using the medium heat setting. Add cremini mushrooms and season with thyme, parsley, and salt and pepper. Sauté until well browned (about 7 minutes). Add shallots and garlic. Sauté for two minutes. Add tomato paste and sauté for 1 minute. Sprinkle with flour and stir well to combine. Increase heat to high and add brandy. Reduce to a glaze. Add wine, the strained liquid from the mushrooms, the reserved carrots and porcini mushrooms, and chicken base. Bring to a boil. Nestle chicken legs into liquid, cover, reduce heat to law and allow to simmer until the thighs reach an internal temperature of about 170° (about 15 minutes).
Check the thickness of the sauce. If it is too runny for your taste, remove the chicken to a plate and boil until reduced to your preference. (You may also want to add a teaspoon of flour, well whisked in.) Otherwise, allow chicken to rest uncovered in the sauce for 5 minutes before serving.
I served the coq au vin with Alessi mushroom risotto prepared as per package direction s, except that I used 1 tablespoon of the reserved fat from sautéing the chicken and pancetta instead of olive oil.
We drank a The Prisoner Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast) 2019. I liked it despite the fact that it is an unusual Pinot Noir. If I had tasted it blind, I might have thought it was a Zinfandel. Robust. Black cherry and blackberry. Plums. Well integrated oak notes.