Coq Au Vin And Creme Fraiche Mashed Potatoes

  • Difficulty easy
  • Serves 4-6
coq au vin

Ingredients

  • for coq au vin
  • 1.5kg chicken, jointed
  • 150g/5oz diced bacon or lardons
  • 10 French shallots, peeled
  • A few thyme sprigs
  • A rosemary sprig
  • 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 250ml/9floz white wine
  • A small knob of butter
  • 350g/13oz mixed mushrooms (such as oyster and chestnut), sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed with the back of a knife
  • A small handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • for crème fraiche mash
  • 800g/ potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 150ml/5floz milk
  • 25g/1oz butter
  • 110ml/4floz crème fraiche or single cream

Method for coq au vin

  1. Preheat the oven to 220'C /gas mark 7.
  2. Arrange the chicken pieces in a large roasting tin and scatter with bacon, shallots, thyme, rosemary and chilli flakes.
  3. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper.
  4. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and roast for 20 minutes.
  5. Add the wine to the tin and roast for another 20-25 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven.
  7. Heat the butter and remaining oil in a large frying pan and cook the mushrooms and garlic over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
  8. Tip into the tin and scatter with parsley.

Method for crème fraiche mash

  1. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender.
  2. Remove from the heat, drain well and return to the hot pan.
  3. Mash the potatoes (for special occasions I like to blend them until smooth in a mixer with a paddle attachment).
  4. Heat the milk and butter in a small pan over medium heat (don't allow to boil) until the butter has melted.
  5. Beat into the potatoes and then fold in the crème fraiche or cream and season with sea salt

To serve

  1. Pile some mash onto the plate and spoon the chicken alongside.