Coq Au Vin

Ingredients:

• 1.5kg whole chicken
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil
• 100g flour
• 200g salted (unsmoked) bacon
• 200g carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 250g mushrooms
• 500g small new potatoes
• 1 large red onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 bottle Pinot Noir
• 100ml Cognac
• 500ml chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 sprigs of thyme

Method:

1. Place a cast iron dutch oven pot on the grid and let the EGG reach 230°.
2. In the meantime, cut the legs from the chicken and the drumsticks from the thigh. Cut off the wings and the breasts, halving the breasts. If you have a great butcher like Caroline Mccann or Son of a Butcher, they’d gladly do this bit for you!
3. Heat the oil in the pot on the EGG and sprinkle the flour into a plate for coating the chicken. Season the chicken pieces and roll in the flour, dusting off any excess flour.
4. Brown the chicken evenly in the oil, closing the EGG lid in between turning the pieces.
5. Remove from the pot and set aside.
6. Cut the bacon into pieces, peel and clean the carrots and celery. Coarsely chop both.
7. Wash the potatoes and peel the garlic and onion.
8. Dice the onion and finely chop the garlic.
9. Sauté the onion and garlic and add the bacon. Allow to fry for a minute or two before adding the carrots, celery and mushrooms.
10. Deglaze with the wine and cognac before bringing it to the boil. Add the herbs and stock. Close the EGG lid in between each step.
11. When the liquid starts boiling, return the chicken pieces to the pot.
12. Set the EGG for indirect cooking (convEGGtor in a “legs up” position, followed by the stainless steel grid on top). Place a lid on your dutch oven pot and place it on top of the grid. Let the temperature reach 150°. Simmer for 45 minutes before adding the potatoes and then simmer for a further 15 minutes.
13. After the hour, remove the lid from the pot and simmer uncovered for a further 30 minutes. Stir regularly.

Recipe courtesy of Big Green Egg Europe.