Coq Au Vin

It’s National Coq Au Vin Day!
Have you ever heard of it? Me neither. I mean why are we devoting a day to a French dish? 

According to the nationaldaycalendar.com:  Celebrated annually on May 29 is National Coq Au Vin Day.   Coq au vin is a French braised chicken cooked in wine with bacon lardons, mushrooms and garlic. 

A French staple, Coq au vin translates to “rooster with wine.” It’s a rustic, peasant-style dish that is easy to serve when entertaining because a lot of the work can be done in advance.

Different legends tell of Coq au vin back in the days of Gaul and Julius Caesar. However, the first documented recipe was in the early 20th century.  There was a somewhat similar recipe, poulet au vin blanc, that appeared in an 1864 cookbook. Serves 4 (remember if your servings more than 4 a good rule of thumb is one chicken breast per person) 

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 white onion, chopped 
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of button mushrooms, chopped 
3 carrots, sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste 
2 cups red wine 
2 cups chicken broth 
2 bay leaves 
4 sprigs of fresh thyme 
1/2 cup fresh parsley 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Warm up the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Toss in the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and carrots. Then toss in the chicken and brown on all sides.

Slowly pour in the wine and broth. Then add the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir a few times to combine.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 7-10 minutes. The sauce should have thickened and reduced. Yum Yum!