Slow Cooker Coq au Vin a la Julia Child

As an ex-pat and a home cook in France, Julia underwent something of a transformation and re-invented herself, on a personal journey to “make things happen”. Her evolution as a culinary ambassador to French cooking in America during the 1960’s left a legacy – accessible French cuisine for the home cook.

I’m on an ex-pat adventure myself, one which includes considerable mulling over maps of my adopted country and planning roadtrips. While on vacation in Washington DC this summer, I had the unexpected pleasure of watching a reconstruction of Julia Child’s kitchen for an exhibition at the Smithsonian, marking her 100th Birthday year. (Yes I was the one with my head pressed up against the protective boarding trying to peer through the gap)

Meanwhile, Meg was hiking the Inca Trail, winding her way up the well worn path on a family adventure and working towards a personally significant milestone: taking her oldest son to college.

As this year heads into its penultimate season and we move into shorter days with cooler weather, we’re craving the rich, filling and flavorsome goodness of Coq au Vin we’ve adapted for our slow cookers. The tweaks we made are minimal: the liquid content has been reduced because there is so little evaporation in the slow cooker.

In the words of Julia Child “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.”

Recipe adapted from Julia Child’s Coq au Vin: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Recipe also now available for the Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker

Prep Time  20 minutes                            Cooking Time  7-8 hrs low / 3 1/2 – 4 hrs high       Servings 6

Ingredients    
2 ½ lbs skinless chicken thighs & legs *
2 tbsp flour
salt & pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
4 thick slices bacon, cut into 1” strips
12 baby onions, (24 pearl) peeled and left whole
8 oz pack button or chestnut mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup cognac
1 3/4  cup red wine ***
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large sprig thyme (or a generous 1/2 tsp dried)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
fresh parsley, chopped

Place the chicken, flour, salt and pepper in a gallon size ziploc bag and shake well ensuring the chicken is liberally coated with the mixture. In a skillet heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil on medium high and add the chicken pieces. Brown the chicken for 2 minutes on either side until it turns a lightly golden color.  Stir the remainder of the flour from the bag into the browned chicken and transfer to your slow cooker. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté the bacon, onions and mushrooms for 4 minutes, stirring regularly, until glazed and shiny. Drain any excess fat from the skillet and transfer the mixture into your slow cooker. Stir the cognac, wine, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, oregano and bay leaf into the chicken mixture. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3 1/2 – 4 hours. The slow cooked chicken will fall easily from the bone into the sauce once done. * If you prefer, choose 2lbs boneless chicken thighs instead. *** FAMILY FRIENDLY OPTION use 3/4 cup red wine + 1 cup chicken broth Make it a meal Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Lighten it up Substitute the coqnac for wine or chicken broth.

Zen Toolkit..“Mise en place” a french culinary term which means organizing the process of cooking by making it more efficient, helping prevent mistakes or forgetting vital ingredients.  Line up your spice jars and set out dry ingredients the night before or skip this step and purchase our Coq au Vin “Zen Blend” filled with organic herbs and spices – everything you need to simplify your slow cooking experience.