From Chris Prosperi & Faith — What does dark chocolate (75-85%) do to turn ordinary Coq au Vin into something sensational? Because chefs need to share their secrets, Chris is happy to let you in on this trick…in our chicken and wine recipe, deep dark chocolate is what we call a “stealth” ingredient, a little something added toward the end of making a stew that secretly gives a dish oomph, in this case an earthy, nutty and rich flavor you can’t identify but makes you fall in love with your meal. (And what great mouth-feel!)
Faith here, saying that while I like to add either a little dark cocoa or a chunk of dark chocolate to my Coq au Vin, without measuring, we needed talented Chris to create and test this recipe to get the balance exactly right. After eating it together, contributors Alex, Mark, Anthony, Robyn and I can assure you it’s a fantastic dish, and was perfectly paired with red wine, which marries well with chocolate, thanks to Mark Raymond of Frederick Wildman & Sons.
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 pounds boneless-skinless chicken thighs
- 10 ounces button mushrooms quartered
- 4 strips bacon chopped
- 1 pound frozen pearl onions
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups red wine
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoons water to make a slurry
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Heat the oil on medium high heat in a heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven.
- Season the chicken thighs lightly with kosher salt and sear on both sides for 2 minutes each. Take the chicken out and set aside. Add the quartered mushrooms and bacon to the pot then cook for 2 minutes. Incorporate the pearl onions and cook until lightly caramelized. Stir in the cocoa powder. Now pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes then add the chicken broth and the reserved chicken thighs. Bring back to a very low simmer and cook for 45 minutes while covered. Remove the lid and check to see if chicken is tender, if not then cook for an additional 10 minutes. While simmering pour the corn starch slurry into the pot. Mix to thicken.
- Finish with 2 tablespoons butter and garnish with chopped parsley.
