Coq au vin Chef Pappa style

My Coq au vin is different from the classic one you see in many cookbooks. Most important difference is that I do not use red wine in the recipe but white wine. In my opinion, the white wine pairs better with the chicken. Red wine in such a slow pot dominates the total taste. However, with strong tasting recipes as Boeuf Bourgionne or Goulash, red wine is the best liquid to use.
I also do not use the full chicken but only the chicken thighs. Slow pots with whole chicken always suffer from overcooked and dry breast meat, while the rest of the chicken is perfectly cooked. Same with slow pots with only breast: dry pieces of meat. The thighs, because of the higher fat content, stays juicy and moist, even after long cooking.
What do you need for Cocq au vine Chef Pappa Style?

• 1 pound of chicken thighs, cut in cubes.
• 1 cube of chicken stock powder (you could use chicken stock of chicken broth, but that throws off the amount off liquid you have left; so when you use a liquid, reduce the sauce lightly. You reduce by taking the lid of the pot for the last 30 minutes of cooking)
• onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped finely
• lardons (strips of good bacon)
• mushrooms, slices in small strips.
• white wine (the cooking variety. You won't taste the difference anyway)
  

Firstly, season the chicken cubes with salt and pepper and brown the pieces in a skillet with a little butter. (Yes butter, it will add another dimension to the taste). Meanwhile, fry the onion, bacon, garlic, lardons and mushrooms in your favorite Dutch oven or other pot for slow cooking. When the chicken is golden brown, add to the Dutch oven. Deglace the chicken skillet with the wine whine (the white wine is the only liquid in the recipe, so make sure you add enough...) The deglacing is to ensure all the chicken pieces and drippings still in the skillet make it into the final concoction. Now is the last time you will be able to check the seasoning. If you need more salt and/or pepper, add it in now.
Add the chicken stock powder and simmer for at least 45 minutes. After 45 minutes the alcohol is completely cooked out and the resulting taste is rich and complex.
Now you are done with the cooking. However, with all the butter, chicken fat and bacon, it is quite fatty. Best is too cool the coq au vin in the fridge. The fat will form a layer on the top, which is very easy to skim off. After skimming, you have a wonderful tasty and very lean coq au vin.
If you think the coq au vin is too thin, you can thicken the sauce with a little corn starch or arrowroot powder.
We always eat this with white rice and a simple salad.
Bon Appetit!
Note: you can vary the ingredients a lot. Most of the time start the vegetables with a mirapoix (1 part chopped celery, 2 parts chopped onion and 1 part chopped carrot ), and I add red bell pepper to the veggies. Another suggestions is white pearl onions, and wild mushrooms like cremini or shitaki. The possibilities are endless.

Boeuf Bourguignon

One of the most prepared French classic beef stews. You will see variations stripped to the core and very elaborate versions. Some are very saucy and some are reduced to almost dry state. As long as you keep the core recipe in tact, the variations are endless.
The principles of a good Boeuf Bourgionne:

• The cooking liquid consist of only red wine. Purists will only use a wine from the Burgundy region in France, but actually any sturdy red wine will do. I use nothing but simple cooking wine.
• The taste mostly comes from an herb mix the french call a "bouquet garni". It consists of a couple sprigs of thyme, a couple of bay leaves and parsley. They are tied together in a nice bundle, so they can be easily discarded after cooking.
• Carrots are an essential ingredient. The carrots add a dimension of sweetness to the stew
• Do not forget the bacon in the stew. Most of the salt comes from the cured bacon.
  
• Cook low and slow. A good stew takes time on low flame. Simmer until fork tender is the rule
• If you do it right, you do not need any additional binding agent. After browning the meat and vegetables and before you add the liquid, just dust them with flour. After simmering and natural reduction, the sauce will be nice and thick. However, when the sauce is too loose, just add a little corn starch slurry, and it will thicken to your liking.
  

What does the basic version need?

• Beef chuck, in nice chunks. Not too small, you want to see beef in the final result
• Chopped onion, celery and carrots. (Classic mirepoix)
• Flour
  
• Boquet garni
• Red wine, about 3/4 of a bottle
• Lardons (cured bacon cut in nice chunks)
• Mushrooms
• (Optional) pearl onions, tomato paste

Cooking methods:

• Season the chuck with salt and pepper
• Brown the chuck with butter in a skillet for a couple of minutes until nicely colored. Transfer to a Dutch oven or casserole
  
• Brown the vegetables in the same skillet and add to the casserole
• Mix in some flour until the vegetables and meat have a nice dusting
• De-glaze the skillet with the red wine. Make sure all the brown bits are resolved
• Add glaze to the casserole and bring to a boil
• Add bouquet garni and reduce heat to a low simmer
• Render the bacon and add to the casserole
  
• Simmer for at least 3 hours until the meat is fork tender.
• A half hour before you are done, brown the mushrooms and other ingredients you want to add to the stew. Especially mushrooms should not be overcooked. They will take on the flavor of the stew very quickly and when cooked too long, they become mushy
• Serve with either rice, potatoes or bread.