Autumn Coq au Vin with mashed potatoes and green beans

Don’t be put off by the reference to autumn as this just means that this is not some traditional, rich coq au vin with lots of red wine. This is a much lighter recipe, ideal all year round and which is packed full of flavour including mushrooms, white wine, lardons/bacon, shallots, thyme and rosemary and a small amount of chilli flakes. Goes perfectly with the mashed potatoes and green beans. When you’ve nearly finished, soak up the tasty juices with a slice of baguette!

This is definitely a dinner party quality dish but also great for a weekend family dinner as well – it’s not difficult to cook at all, just has a few steps/stages. Recipe based on a Bill Granger recipe

Ingredients – based on cooking for 8, so simply halve if for 4 

1.5 kgs boneless, skinless chicken thighs – cut in half longways

150 gms pancetta lardons (diced) or 250 gms bacon also diced

10 shallots – peel and leave whole unless large (cut in half longways)

Handful of thyme sprigs (half a supermarket packet)- chopped very fine

2 rosemary sprigs – chopped very fine

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

3 tbs olive oil

Approx. 375 mls white wine – it is coq au vin after all(1), any white wine will do the job

Butter – about 3 teaspoons

3 packets mushrooms – I love to use three different types if available. Slice smaller mushrooms into halves or leave whole and Portabello into large slices. I love to leave the mushroom slices quite large

3 garlic cloves or one generous squeeze of garlic paste

Small handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 kg potatoes suitable for mashing – peeled and cut into smallish pieces

Milk and butter for when you mash – you can use some crème fraiche if you want to impress!

2 packets of green beans

 2 baguettes cut into rounds

Cooking instructions

1. Arrange the chicken pieces in a large oven roasting tin and scatter with the bacon, shallots, thyme, rosemary and chilli flakes. Season with sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
2. Drizzle with two tablespoons of the olive oil. Set the oven to 220C fan bake and roast for 20 mins
3. Add the wine to the tin and cook for a further 25 mins
4. While the chicken is cooking, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender -approx. 15 mins. Drain well and mash with milk and butter to the consistency you like. If using crème fraiche, fold into the mix. Keep warm
5. Cook the beans as you prefer them – I like to steam them so still slightly crisp
6. When the chicken is halfway through the cooking with wine, heat butter and remaining tablespoon of oil in a large frypan. When “foaming”, add the mushrooms and garlic and fry for 3-5 mins until just softening
7. Add the mushrooms to the tin, mix gently with the chicken, return to oven but turn off the heat and leave for a couple of minutes.
8. Remove from oven and sprinkle the parsley 

Voilà – you have cooked a beautiful meal ! I like to put the roasting tin on the dining table and serve from there together with the mashed potatoes and beans.

 Serves 8

Bon Appétit mes amis!!