Coq au Vin

A traditional French stew of chicken slow-cooked in wine. In the true Waffle Heart’s fashion, we added extra veggies and whole grains. Plus we reduced the amount of butter but we couldn’t take it out completely, could we.

Tips: Chop the mushrooms, shallot, garlic and chicken first, then start cooking. You can chop the veggies after you put on the quinoa.

Makes: 2 servings

Preparation time: 20m
Cooking time: 20m
Total time: 50m

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 tablespoons butter (softened and divided)
  • 2 large shiitake mushrooms (quartered)
  • 1 shallot (diced)
  • 3 garlic cloves (diced)
  • 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (chopped into bite-sized pieces)
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • 2-3 cups wine (normally red wine is used, pick a moderately priced wine that you enjoy drinking)
  • 1 teaspoon double concentrated tomato paste (or 2 teaspoons regular tomato paste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup quinoa (uncooked)
  • 1 large carrot (cut into 1/4" thick rounds)
  • 1 large zucchini (cut into 1/4" thick rounds)
  • 8-10 Brussels sprouts (halved)
  • 10 green beans (cut into 2" long pieces)
  • 1-2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Equipment: 3 quart saucepan, dutch oven or tagine (must be stovetop safe), fine-mesh strainer, small saucepan,

Instructions:

  1. Heat a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil then 1 tablespoon butter. Wait for the butter to stop foaming then add the mushrooms and sauté until they release their juices (3-5 minutes). Using a slotted spoon remove the mushrooms and set aside.
  2. Add the diced shallots and garlic to the pan and sauté for a minute, then add chicken and brown it on both sides (1 - 2 min per side).
  3. Pour 1 cup of chicken stock into pan. Then pour the wine into the pan, you may not need all of it, you want to pour until you can just barely see the top of the chicken pieces. Stir in the tomato paste, oregano and bay leaf.
  4. Turn the heat down to the lowest temperature possible to keep it at a simmer. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer, then put it into a small saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue to cook until the quinoa is tender (about 20 minutes). Drain off any excess water and keep warm in a small bowl.
  6. Using the small saucepan again, add the chopped carrot, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, and green beans. Cover them with cold water and turn the burner on to high. Set a timer for 10 minutes, as soon as it goes off remove the veggies from the heat and test for tenderness. They should be firm yet easily pierced with a fork. Drain, then set aside and keep warm.
  7. The chicken should be finished cooking by now. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. You can put it in with the veg if you want (as long as the veg is finished cooking and has been drained - otherwise put it with the quinoa).
  8. Measure the remaining liquid in the pan, then return it to the pan. For every cup of liquid you will need 1 tablespoon each of flour and butter. Measure the flour and butter into a small bowl and mash them together; this is a called a beurre manié (French for kneaded butter). Bring the liquid up to a simmer and whisk/stir in the beurre manié. Continue whisking constantly. The sauce will start to thicken as it simmers; it will only take a few minutes. You want it thick enough the “enrobe” the chicken (as Julia Child says). Taste the sauce and add salt to taste.
  9. Once the sauce is thick enough add back in all of the prepared ingredients: chicken, par-boiled veggies, quinoa, mushrooms.
  10. Enjoy this dish hot with a loved and savor every bite! It goes great with a glass of wine and a crusty baguette.