Meat mains
Quick coq au vin with purple sprouting broccoli
A comforting dish of herby chicken, served with our seasonal purple sprouting broccoli. We can't claim this as a totally authentic version of the classic French original, as you're not marinating the chicken in red wine overnight, but it's a good quick variation, ideal for weeknight cooking.
Cook's notes
If you have the time or the inclination, there's nothing to stop you marinating the chicken for longer. You can also thicken and intensify the flavour of the sauce by removing the chicken and veg and boiling the sauce to reduce it down further.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken thighs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp herbes de Provence
- 150ml red wine
- 1 onion
- oil for frying e.g. sunflower or light olive
- 2 garlic cloves
- 200g mushrooms
- 400g salad potatoes
- 1 rasher streaky bacon
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 1 low salt stock cube
- 200g purple sprouting broccoli
- small handful parsley
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Prepare the chicken by pulling the skin off the chicken thighs. Using a sharp knife, make about 8 incisions in the chicken. Put the chicken in a bowl with the bay leaves, herbes de Provence and red wine. Mix and leave to marinate until required.
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Step 2
Meanwhile, peel, halve and finely slice the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan, one with a lid. Add the onion. Fry for 10 minutes on a low heat, stirring now and then to stop it catching. If it looks like it might, add a splash of water.
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Step 3
Peel and finely chop or crush 2 garlic cloves. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp piece of kitchen paper or clean cloth. Thinly slice them. Wash the potatoes and chop any larger ones in ½'s or ¼'s. Finely chop up the bacon.
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Step 4
After 10 minutes, remove the onion into a bowl for a moment. Turn the heat up and add the bacon. Stir-fry until just starting to crisp and brown. Add the mushrooms. Fry for 2-3 minutes to slightly soften.
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Step 5
Add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and put to the side with the onions whilst you brown the chicken. Add a splash more oil to the pan. Lift the chicken out of its marinade. Add the chicken to the pan and fry to lightly brown it.
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Step 6
Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add the veg and bacon back to the pan, along with the red wine marinade. Crumble in the stock cube. Add the potatoes and 250ml water. Bring up to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 mins, until the chicken is cooked through (no pink juices remain), and the potatoes are tender.
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Step 7
Keep an eye on the liquid level and top up with a little more water if needs be. Meanwhile, put a saucepan of water on to boil. Wash and shake the parsley dry, then chop the leaves.
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Step 8
Trim the purple sprouting broccoli, using the stalk, florets and leaves, making the pieces roughly the same size. Once the chicken is almost ready, boil the broccoli for 3 minutes, until just tender.
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Step 9
Drain the broccoli, check the seasoning in the coq au vin, stir in the chopped parsley and serve.