Whole Roasted Chicken "Coq Au Vin"
Recipe created by Alex Hon, Sous Chef, Toptable Group
"The idea behind this dish comes from trying to get the dark meat of the chicken soft and juicy like in the classic style of "coq au vin" while gently roasting the top "white meat" side of the bird. Classic garnishes and crusty bread. The reason I decided to do this dish is that whenever I get asked what someone should cook to impress someone I always say roasted chicken. You can't go wrong with a solid roasted chicken! I believe that it is a dish that the viewers would actually make and it's super tasty!" – Chef Alex Hon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F, placing rack in the middle position.
- Gently season the bird inside and out with a heavy sprinkling of salt. Tuck the wing tips under the bird and tightly tie the legs together. Set aside allowing the bird to come up slightly from fridge temperature.
- Cut bacon into ½ cm lardons.
- Cut carrot and celery into similar ½ cm pieces.
- Clean and quarter mushroom caps.
- In a heavy bottom Dutch oven, render bacon lardons over medium heat till golden brown.
- Add vegetables and sweat until you no longer smell the acidity of the onions and the rest of the veggies begin to cook.
- Add butter and stir till incorporated.
- Add flour and cook.
- Once the flour has cooked out, deglaze with red wine and reduce. Season the braising liquid
- Gently place the chicken into the pot and add chicken stock. You'll want the liquid to come up to cover half of the bird or up to the base of the breast bone.
- Bring to a boil with the bird in the liquid and place into the oven.
- If the temperature of the chicken is close to room temperature when placed in pot and you've brought the liquid up to a boil, the actual cooking time should be quite short. We basically need to cook the legs through and roast the breast meat at the same time.
About the Chef
Alex Hon, Sous Chef at Toptable Group in Vancouver, and winner of the Hawksworth Young Chef Scholarship culinary competition in 2016, graduated from Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts where he began his career. He supports sustainable products and maintains good relationships with local BC suppliers. Chef Hon is active on social media and created the hashtag #YourFriendlyNeighbourhoodChef to record his culinary journey.
