Crock Pot Coq Au Vin

Coq Au Vin - doesn't that sound wonderful rolling off your tongue.  I remember pestering my mother to make me some "Coq Au Vin" when I was young.  She would ask me what it was and I told her she needed to watch an episode of "Bewitched" and she would find out all she needed to know.

Well, I never got my Coq Au Vin.  However, as I had to cook for myself and my family later on, I found numerous recipes for this delicious chicken braised in wine dish.  My latest  recipe is the crock pot method.    This is great for busy days and days when it is too hot to cook.

Start by cooking some diced bacon and green onions in a skillet.  Be warned - the aroma is intoxicating. Remove the bacon and onions from the skillet and add chicken pieces.  I used 3 chicken breasts.  Brown the chicken well on all side.  Set the chicken aside.

In your crock pot - I used my oval one - add some small white onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and garlic.  Next place the browned chicken over the veggies.  Top the chicken with the bacon and green onions, salt, pepper, dried thyme, and some chicken broth.  Cook on low for  7 hours. For the last  hour of cooking, I add some Burgundy wine and cook on high for the last hour.  Total cooking time is 8 hours.

Dinner is ready.  Your family will sit down to a very flavorful chicken meal.  The chicken is tender and juicy and the veggies are just delicious.    This recipe serves  6.

Coq Au Vin
From A Slow Cooker Recipe Book

Ingredients:
5 bacon slices, diced
2/3 cup sliced green onions
2 1/2 pound broiler-fryer chicken, cut up or 3 chicken breasts, halved
4 to 6 small white onions, peeled
1/4 pound whole mushrooms
6 to 8  small new potatoes
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Burgundy wine

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, saute diced bacon and green onions until bacon is crisp.  Remove and drain.
2.  Add chicken pieces to the skillet and brown well on all sides.  Remove the chicken when it has browned and set aside.
3. Put peeled onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and garlic in Crock Pot.  Add browned chicken pieces, bacon and green onions, seasonings, and chicken broth.
4. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.  Add Burgundy and cook on High for one hour.
5.  Serve.