Rainy Day Recipe: White Wine Coq au Vin

To celebrate finishing Julia Child's "My Life in France" and today's rainy weather - tonight I made White Wine Coq au Vin from this month's Sunset Magazine. It was delicious and super easy to make. Our apartment smelled like heaven and the aroma even brought the neighbors over to see what I was cooking. Ok, so I don't even know if coq au vin is in any of Julia's cookbooks but I can say that after reading her book every night before bed, I'm feeling more inspired than ever to try French cooking.

White Wine Coq au Vin

via Sunset Magazine

Ingredients

4 1/2 tablespoons flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence

4 slices bacon (1/4 lb.), chopped

1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned chicken thighs

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups peeled baby carrots

3 stalks celery

1 medium onion

1 1/3 cups Chardonnay

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley sprigs

1/4 cup lightly packed fresh tarragon sprigs

Preparation

1. In a plastic bag, shake flour with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and the herbes de Provence; set aside.

2. In a 5- to 6-qt. pan over medium-high heat, brown bacon, stirring occasionally, 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, cut chicken into 1-in. chunks, then shake half at a time in flour to coat.

3. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon from pan to paper towels. Brown half the chicken in bacon fat, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken, adding oil to pan. Meanwhile, cut carrots in half lengthwise and cut celery into diagonal slices. Chop onion.

4. Add vegetables to pan with remaining salt and pepper and sauté until onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave wine and broth until steaming, about 3 minutes.

5. Add broth mixture, chicken, and bacon to pan, stirring to loosen browned bits. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, coarsely chop parsley and tarragon. Stir them into stew.