Marinating the Chicken
- Combine the wine, onion, celery, carrot, garlic and peppercorns in a large pot
- Bring to a boil on high heat then reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes
- Cool completely then mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Pat the legs and thighs dry then place them in a large glass bowl. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken and gently turn or stir to ensure the chicken is well coated
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 day, turning the chicken once or twice to thoroughly marinate
Finishing the Coq au Vin
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
- Tie the parsley stems, bay leaves and thyme together in cheesecloth and set aside
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in a colander to drain
- Strain the marinade and reserve the liquid and vegetables separately
- Heat a dutch oven over medium heat and saute the bacon until crisp and browned 5-6 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towels
- Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the bacon grease and increase heat to medium high. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides about 6-8 minutes per batch. Set the chicken aside
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and saute the celery, carrot, onion, peppercorns and garlic until softened, about 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables evenly
- Stir in the reserved wine marinade and chicken broth, bring to a boil and stir. Cook until sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes and remove from heat
- Add the chicken pieces and the herb bundle, nestling them into the vegetables
- Cover the dutch oven and bake in the oven until tender, about 1-1/4 hours
- While the chicken is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet and saute the pearl onions about 8-10 minutes or until tender and set aside with the bacon
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet and saute the mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside with the bacon and onions
- Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven – it will be heavy and hot!
- Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Strain the sauce, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce if necessary
- Gently combine the sauce, bacon, onions and mushrooms, then pour over the chicken. Gently fold with a spatula to fully coat each piece of chicken
- Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to thoroughly meld
Serving the following day
- Reheat in the oven at 225 degrees for 2 hours. Keep warm on your stove top until ready to serve
- Plate over brown butter egg noodles and garnish with fresh sprig of parsley