Coq Au Vin III

Ingredients

• to taste oil
• to taste black peppercorns
• 4 carrots, cut in thick lengths
• 1 whole onion
• 1 strip pork belly fat
• 250 g button mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 measures brandy
• 1 bottle red burgundy wine
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 5 bay leaves
• to taste butter
• to taste selection of wild mushrooms
• 12 small pickling onions
• 2 stalks celery
• ½ tsp ground asafoetida
• to taste salt
• to taste parsley

Steps

1. For chicken stock, sear the giblets in a bit of oil in a pan.
2. Simmer in water with the whole onion, 1 carrot and some peppercorns.
3. You should have 1 cup.
4. In the skillet, fry the pancetta and pork belly fat with butter until golden brown.
5. Remove the pancetta.
6. To the skillet, add the seasoned chicken pieces skin side down.
7. Fry until honey-coloured.
8. Flip.
9. This is vital for the flavour.
10. The skillet must be left sticky.
11. There won't be enough room to do it in one go, so take it in turns.
12. Remove, leaving the pork belly behind, snipped into pieces.
13. To the skillet, add the chopped onion and the button mushrooms.
14. Fry for 5 minutes.
15. Add the sliced garlic.
16. Immediately flame off one of the measures of brandy.
17. To the skillet add the chicken pieces and pancetta.
18. Pour over all the wine, chicken stock, and vegetable stock.
19. Bring to the boil.
20. Add the garlic and herbs.
21. Reduce the heat.
22. Simmer for 45 minutes.
23. Turn the chicken pieces twice.
24. Remove the chicken pieces to the pyrex lid.
25. Pour the skillet sauce into the jug.
26. Put the jug in the freezer for 30 minutes and then remove the fat.
27. At this stage, it is recommended that you refrigerate the whole dish overnight.
28. In the skillet, add some butter along with the wild mushrooms.
29. Then add the pickling onions, remaining carrots, and celery.
30. Fry until the mushrooms brown.
31. Stir in the asafoetida.
32. Flame off the second measure of brandy.
33. Add the jug ingredients to the skillet sauce, along with another crushed clove of garlic.
34. Push the veg to the edge of the skillet.
35. Reduce the sauce in the skillet until glossy (about 15 minutes).
36. It may need some flour stirred in, but it shouldn't be thick.
37. Pour half the sauce into the pyrex bowl.
38. Place the chicken pieces in.
39. Pour the rest of the sauce on top.
40. Put the covered pyrex bowl in an oven on 170 °C for 90 minutes.
41. Sprinkle parsley over each portion.
42. Serve with asparagus/green beans, and steamed potatoes/flat noodles/rice/orzo/colcannon.