Chicken in Petit Syrah Recipe

Chicken in Petit Syrah

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Wolfgang PuckOne of my all-time favorite recipes is coq au vin, the classic French braise of chicken slowly simmered in red wine. It makes a satisfying main course on a cold weekend night, with its succulent meat colored deep reddish brown from the cooking liquid and its robust garnishes of smoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms, and little onions. Click here for Wolfgang Puck's full introduction.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, about 4 lb., cut into eighths
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
10 slices smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 16 small boiling onions, cut in half
16 button mushrooms, cut in half
1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 bottle Petit Syrah or Zinfandel
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbs. minced fresh tarragon
1 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Dust the chicken pieces with the 2 Tbs. of the flour and season them with 1/2 tsp. each of the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a vertical-sided sauté pan large enough to hold all the chicken pieces in a single layer (or 2 smaller pans, if necessary) over high heat. Add the oil and, when it is hot enough to swirl freely, carefully add the chicken pieces, skin side down. Sauté the chicken over high heat until dark golden brown all over, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on paper towels. Carefully pour off the fat from the pan.

Return the pan to medium heat, add the bacon pieces, and sauté until golden brown but not yet crisp, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels and set aside. Still over medium heat, in separate batches, sauté the onions, mushrooms, carrots, and celery until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes per batch, transferring each batch to a bowl as it is done. Pour off the remaining fat from the pan.

Add the wine to the pan and, over medium-high heat, stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Return the chicken pieces to the pan with the vegetables, garlic, thyme, and tarragon. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the chicken and vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes.

In a small bowl, mash or knead together the butter and remaining flour to form a smooth paste, a beurre manie. Transfer the chicken pieces to a heated platter. Over medium heat, boil the sauce until it has reduced by about a third, 7-10 minutes. A little at a time, stir in some of the beurre manie as needed to make a sauce thick enough to coat the chicken, but still fluid. Stir into the sauce the remaining salt and pepper, along with the bacon pieces, then taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

To serve, place 2 chicken pieces on each heated serving plate. Spoon the sauce, vegetables, and bacon over each serving.

Yield: 4 servings

(Chef Wolfgang Puck’s TV series, “Wolfgang Puck’s Cooking Class,” airs Sundays on the Food Network. Also, his latest cookbook, “Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy,” is now available in bookstores. Write Wolfgang Puck in care of Tribune Media Services Inc., 2225 Kenmore Ave., Suite 114, Buffalo, N.Y. 14207.)