Recipe: Coq au Vin Nouveau (Chicken in Wine)

Coq au Vin Nouveau

Prep time: 25 minutes/Cook time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Coq au Vin Nouveau Ah, oui, le Beaujolais Nouveau. Such a blushing ruby color, such a flirtatiously fruity flavor-and such a lovely wine for cooking. This youngest of reds is just the thing to lighten up good old coq au vin, which is usually made with a heavier wine. We've lightened up the dish in another way, too: We've spared you peeling a bushel of tiny little boiling onions (a traditional component of this dish) by simply substituting chopped onion instead. Nobody'll notice. Especially if you pour more of that wonderful Beaujolais with the meal.

4 strips bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
One 3-1/2 pound chicken,
   cut into 8 pieces, skin removed
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, halved lengthwise
   and cut into 1-inch lengths
2/3 cup red wine, preferably Beaujolais Nouveau
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup canned tomatoes,
   chopped, with their juice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
Chopped parsley, for garnish

1. In 5-quart Dutch oven or large flameproof casserole, cook the bacon over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until crisp. With slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.

2. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Add oil and heat over medium heat. Add chicken and sauté about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. With slotted spoon, transfer chicken to plate.

3. Add garlic and onion to pan and cook about 5 minutes, or until onion is lightly golden. Add carrots and cook about 5 minutes, or until lightly colored. Add wine and cook 5 minutes, or until reduced by half.

4. Add broth, tomatoes with their juice, thyme, and salt, and bring to a boil. Return chicken and bacon to pan and return to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer chicken about 20 minutes, turning pieces midway, or until breast meat is tender Remove breasts; set aside. Continue cooking dark meat about 15 minutes more, or until tender Return breasts to pan and cook about 2 minutes, or just until heated through. Transfer to a serving tureen if desired and garnish with chopped parsley.

Makes 4 servings/490 cals, 24g fat per serving.

The Right Stuff

Beaujolais Nouveau is among its fans the subject of great excitement when it first appears in wine shops in mid to late November. Made in Burgundy, Beaujolais Nouveau is not aged, but bottled as soon as fermentation is complete. It's rushed to our shores by jet, and shops and restaurants compete to be the first to sell and serve it. Beaujolais Nouveau is a fresh, uncomplicated wine, and should be drunk right away or within a few months of purchase.

In A Pinch

Coq au Vin is pretty incredible when made with Beaujolais Nouveau but we don t want you to think that you can t do the dish without it. After all, this wine isn't always available. You can go with any dry red wine-or a dry white wine, for that matter. And it doesn't even have to be French.

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Recipe Reprinted by permission.