With the permission of the most purist chefs, today I suggest we reinterpret one of the classics of French cuisine, the Coq au vin, and prepare a chicken in cider that has nothing to envy from the traditional recipe. Without fear of being wrong, the chicken in a casserole is delicious either way, but in this dish, replacing red wine with dry cider is a brilliant choice, because the apple notes pair so well with the chicken.
And if we reinterpret a traditional stew made in a casserole, I think it's a great idea to cook this recipe in the Modern Heritage Le Creuset low casserole, Shallow Casserole type, which reflects the perfect fusion of tradition and innovation. With all the iconic design details of the Heritage ceramic pieces, this The cast iron Shallow Casserole is ideal for bringing out all the flavors of this delicious chicken stew with cider.
This recipe for chicken in a casserole is an excellent example that tradition and innovation can go hand in hand, amicably and with all the respect that cuisine deserves. Reworking classic recipes like Coq au vin is a delicious way to keep the passion for gastronomy alive. This chicken in cider is a top-tier dish. And it is also a tribute to traditional stews, those that require time and care at every step, including the choice of the pot in which they will be prepared.
Ingredients
- 900 g of chicken (preferably quartered rear pieces: thighs and drumsticks, bone-in and with skin)
- Salt to taste
- 250 g of wild mushrooms (for example, shiitake, maitake or oyster mushrooms)
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (AOVE)
- 4 thick slices of pancetta, cut into pieces of about 2.5 cm
- 2 medium leeks, thinly sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (reserve the fronds)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons of calvados, brandy or armagnac (optional)
- 700 ml of dry cider
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 3 sprigs of thyme
Preparation
- Dry the chicken pieces with kitchen paper and season both sides to your liking.
- Preheat the oven to 230º C. Separate the mushrooms and, if they are very large, cut them in half.
- Place baking paper on your Le Creuset shallow roasting pan and spread the mushrooms in a single layer without crowding them. Season to taste and drizzle a little olive oil over them.
- Roast the mushrooms in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, stirring more or less halfway through. They will be ready when you see them start to brown.
- Remove the mushrooms from the oven and lower the temperature to 175º C.
- Heat your Modern Heritage Le Creuset low casserole, Shallow Casserole type over medium heat, add the pancetta pieces and cook them until well browned, stirring occasionally. When they're ready (in about 8-10 minutes) remove from the heat and set aside.
- Remove most of the bacon fat from the Shallow Casserole, leaving about 1 tablespoon, and place the chicken skin-side down. Let it brown well, cooking for about 6-8 minutes, then flip it. Cook for a couple more minutes on the other side. When done, lift the chicken pieces out of the Shallow Casserole and set aside.
- Now it's the vegetables' turn. Add the leeks, fennel, and carrots to the Shallow Casserole and season to taste. Cook until softened, about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the chopped garlic and the tablespoon of flour. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
- Make room in the Shallow Casserole to pour in the calvados or brandy by pushing the vegetables to one side. Deglaze with the liquor to release the browned bits, then add the cider, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and thyme, stirring well to combine.
- Arrange the chicken pieces in the Shallow Casserole and let it cook until it comes to a simmer.
- Add half of the roasted mushrooms and half of the bacon pieces to the stew. Cover the Shallow Casserole and transfer it to the oven to cook for 1 hour.
- Once the time is up, very carefully remove the Shallow Casserole from the oven and return it to the stove over medium heat until it comes back to a simmer. With the Shallow Casserole uncovered, cook for about 15 minutes to reduce the liquid, stirring gently so the stew doesn't stick to the bottom of the Shallow Casserole.
- As soon as you see that the liquid has reduced by half, remove the casserole from the heat and garnish your chicken in wine with cider with the remaining roasted mushrooms and the pieces of pancetta, and add a few fennel leaves.
Suggestions
- The recipe quantities are for 4 diners, and we used the Modern Heritage 28 cm low casserole, Shallow Casserole type. If there are more of you, you'll have to adjust the ingredients and you'll need a larger Shallow Casserole, such as the Le Creuset Evolution oval casserole.
- If you want to prepare the traditional Coq au vin (chicken in wine) recipe, you can find it here.
- And if you want to see more traditional French recipes, discover other curiosities or learn more about cooking, here you will find the book The Art of French Cooking by Julia Child.
