Tonight's dinner is my Italian version of Coq au Vin (Chicken in Wine), a slow-cooked dish that warms the belly and fills the home with a great aroma! This one came together fairly quickly in my head and the prep time is pretty quick as well. An added bonus...it's CHEAP, tasty and filling.
Coq au Vin alla Italiana
1 package, boneless, skinless chicken thighs (5 thighs in the package)
salt & pepper
3 TB olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried parsley
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
Splash of water or chicken broth (as needed)
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to a medium pot, over medium high heat. When shimmering, add the chicken. Sear until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate.
Add the onions and garlic to the pan. Stir for about one minute. Add the wine. Stir to bring up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine has nearly evaporated and the pan is almost dry. Add the herbs and spices. Pour in the tomatoes and their juice. Stir to incorporate. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken back to the pot, cover and simmer over low heat for an hour. Make sure the chicken is covered at least 1/2 way with the tomato/sauce mixture, if not, add water or chicken broth to cover chicken at least half way with the braising liquid.
When you're ready to serve, uncover, remove the chicken and bring to a boil and reduce, allowing sauce to thicken.
Serve chicken and sauce over rice, pasta or couscous.
The chicken is seared with salt/pepper. The chicken does not cook all the way thru, it will finish cooking later in the braising liquid.
This the bottom of the pan. All the bits and fat and yumminess, that's fond. That will yield a lot of great flavor when dissolved in the wine.
Onions, wine and garlic.
Notice how the wine has nearly evaporated, leaving a rich flavor base for the tomatoes to stir into.
The chicken has been nestled into the sauce and braising has begun.
Served up with rice. Make sure to serve a little extra sauce for the rice to soak it up. 
2 comments:
Talk about a nice meal to come home to!
With the ingredients you might be expecting a heavier flavor, but it's actually pretty light.
I am so making this tonight. With the addition of olives, this turns into Poulet Marengo.
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