Coq au Vin

by Daniel Rogov

1 1/2 cups red wine for cooking
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
2 bouquets garnis made by tying together 4 sprigs of parsley, 2 sprigs of tarragon and 1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, sliced
6 peppercorns
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 chicken, about 1 1/2 kgs., cut into convenient serving pieces
4 Tbsp. parve margarine
125 grams fatty beef pastrami
16 baby onions, peeled
1/4 kg. mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp. flour
3 shallots, chopped finely
2 Tbsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. brandy
salt and black pepper to taste

In a deep bowl, combine the red wine, thinly sliced onion, carrot, 1 of the bouquets garnis, 2 of the garlic cloves, the peppercorns and the olive oil. Place the chicken pieces into this mixture and turn well, making sure all pieces are coated. Let marinate for about 6 hours at room temperature, turning the pieces occasionally.

Drain the chicken pieces and pat them dry with absorbent towels. Drain the marinade and discard the vegetables and seasonings.

Heat the margarine in a large skillet and saute the pastrami until browned. Remove the pastrami from the pan and then saute the baby onions until lightly browned. Remove and then saute the mushrooms just until tender. Remove these and then place the chicken pieces in the skillet and brown both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Discard from the pan all but 2-3 Tbsp. of the fat and to this add the flour and cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture is bubbling. Add the reserved liquid from the marinade and then add the garlic, shallots, the other bouquet garni and salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the skillet, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer slowly until the chicken is almost tender (about 20-25 minutes), stirring occasionally. Stir in the onions and simmer for 5 minutes longer.

Place the chicken on a serving platter and set aside to keep warm. Discard the bouquet garni, stir the mushrooms and pastrami into the sauce. If the sauce is overly thin, bring to a boil until it thickens. Correct the seasoning and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving. Serves 4-6.

Daniel Rogov is the restaurant and wine critic for the daily newspaper Ha'aretz. He is also the senior writer for Wine and Gourmet Magazine and contributes culinary and wine articles to newspapers in Europe and the United States.