The Queens go “coo-coo” for Coq au Vin, a classic French dish of chicken cooked in red wine. An elegant but simple recipe, it’s a great entry point to the world of French cuisine, which is often less complicated than it seems. Since this chicken dish has a decadent sauce, we love serving it in a shallow soup bowl over buttered egg noodles that have been tossed with chopped fresh parsley. We also garnish the rest of the plate with parsley, as the bright green pops against the red wine sauce. So pretty and so tasty!

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 servings

　　4 slices bacon, chopped

　　1/2 cup chopped onion

　　1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces

　　8 shallots, thinly sliced

　　1 carrot, coarsely chopped

　　2 garlic cloves, minced

　　3 tablespoons cognac

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　1 (10-ounce) container sliced button mushrooms

　　4 flat-leaf parsley sprigs

　　2 bay leaves

　　2 fresh thyme sprigs

　　1 celery rib, coarsely chopped

　　2 cups dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

In large sauté pan set over medium heat, cook the bacon and onion until the bacon is crisp and the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon and onion to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Add the chicken to the pan and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add the shallots, carrot, garlic, and cognac to the pan and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.

　　

Step 3

In a separate small sauté pan set over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

　　

Step 4

Make a bouquet garni by wrapping the parsley, bay leaves, and thyme in cheesecloth and tying the cloth closed with kitchen twine. Place the bouquet garni in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Add the chicken, vegetables, and mushrooms to the casserole dish.

　　

Step 5

Pour the wine into the sauté pan used to cook the chicken, set over high heat, and bring to a boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the wine over the chicken in the casserole dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 2 hours or until the chicken juices run clear when the meat is pierced. Remove the bouquet garni and serve.

　　

note

Step 6

This dish makes for an elegant presentation and is perfect for dinner guests. Consider making it a day ahead, so that the flavors can further meld together—and give yourself some extra time to enjoy your company! Just prepare the recipe up to the point before baking, cover, and store in the fridge. Now all you have to do the day your guests come is preheat your oven and create a mouthwatering aroma for your guests to enjoy as the dish bakes. Yep, it is that easy.

　　From The Casserole Queens Cookbook by Crystal Cook & Sandy Pollock. Copyright © 2011 by Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock; Food photographs copyright © 2011 by Ben Fink. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers.Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, the Casserole Queens, have been delivering casseroles in Austin, Texas, since 2006; they also teach cooking classes at Whole Foods stores in the area. They have been featured on Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay and Bobby Flay Radio on Sirius XM, as well as on television news and radio talk shows.