Coq au Vin
Serve with mashed potato
2.2 lb chicken pieces
5/8 pint red wine
1/2 oz dairy-free margarine
1 1/2 tsp oil
8 shallots
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
4 oz mushrooms
1 1/2 rounded tsp dairy-free margarine
1 level tablespoon flour
Melt the margarine and oil in a large frying pan and fry the chicken pieces skin side down until the surface is cooked and golden, then turn them over and fry until the other side is cooked on the surface. Place the chicken in a saucepan. Peel the shallots and fry them whole until they are browned a little. Add the shallots to the chicken. Then add the finely chopped garlic, thyme, basil, salt, pepper, bay leaf and wine. Ideally the chicken should be completely covered by the wine. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. If the chicken is not completely covered by the wine, stir the chicken round occasionally so that all parts have some time soaked in the wine.
After 45 minutes add the mushrooms, halved if they are small or quartered if they are large.
Remove the chicken, shallots and mushrooms from the sauce and keep them warm in a dish. Boil the sauce (uncovered) until it has reduced by a third. Mix together the margarine and flour and add this paste to the sauce. Boil and stir the sauce until it has thickened.
Serve the chicken, shallots and mushrooms with the sauce poured over.
Total preparation/cooking time: