Coq Au Riesling
by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA EXPRESSIntroduction
I don't bother to sear the meat, which means you really need skinless portions; unbrowned chicken skin is not pretty. If you're not buying thighs, but thigh fillets, then it is probably more helpful to think in terms of boned weight, rather than the number of portions: go, here, for about 1.25 kilos.
I tend not to add any cream to this first time around but, if I have a small amount left over, I add a little double cream and turn it into a pasta sauce. I like to eat my Coq au Riesling as they do in Alsace, with a huge pile of buttered noodles. Whether you add cream or not is entirely up to you.
I was on a bit of a garlic oil rampage when I was writing Nigella Express, but you can use regular olive oil instead, mincing in a couple of garlic cloves once the leeks have softened a little in the pan.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
I don't bother to sear the meat, which means you really need skinless portions; unbrowned chicken skin is not pretty. If you're not buying thighs, but thigh fillets, then it is probably more helpful to think in terms of boned weight, rather than the number of portions: go, here, for about 1.25 kilos.
I tend not to add any cream to this first time around but, if I have a small amount left over, I add a little double cream and turn it into a pasta sauce. I like to eat my Coq au Riesling as they do in Alsace, with a huge pile of buttered noodles. Whether you add cream or not is entirely up to you.
I was on a bit of a garlic oil rampage when I was writing Nigella Express, but you can use regular olive oil instead, mincing in a couple of garlic cloves once the leeks have softened a little in the pan.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 6
- 2 tablespoons garlic infused olive oil (see Intro)
- 150 grams bacon lardons
- 1 leek (finely sliced)
- 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 bay leaves
- 300 grams oyster mushrooms (torn into strips)
- 1 x 750 millilitres bottle riesling
- 1 splash of double cream (optional)
- Maldon sea salt flakes (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (to serve)
- 2 tablespoons garlic flavored oil (see Intro)
- 1 cup bacon lardons
- 1 leek (finely sliced)
- 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 bay leaves
- 10 ounces oyster mushrooms (torn into strips)
- 26 fluid ounces bottle riesling
- 1 splash of heavy cream (optional)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (to serve)
Method
- Heat the oil in a casserole or large, wide pan and fry the lardons until crisp.
- Add the sliced leek and soften it with the lardons for a minute or so.
- Cut chicken thighs into 2 or 3 pieces each, tip them into the pan with the bay leaves, torn mushrooms and wine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, stirring in the double cream for the last couple of minutes if you want. Like all stews, this tastes its mellowest best if you let it get cold and then reheat the next day. But it's no hardship to eat straight off. Whichever, serve sprinkled with dill and together with some buttered noodles.
- Heat the oil in a casserole or large, wide pan and fry the lardons until crisp.
- Add the sliced leek and soften it with the lardons for a minute or so.
- Cut chicken thighs into 2 or 3 pieces each, tip them into the pan with the bay leaves, torn mushrooms and wine.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes, stirring in the heavy cream for the last couple of minutes if you want. Like all stews, this tastes its mellowest best if you let it get cold and then reheat the next day. But it's no hardship to eat straight off. Whichever, serve sprinkled with dill and together with some buttered noodles.
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Show more commentsThis wonderful dish tastes so complex and yet, to make it, the only effort required is to slice a leek. The rest of the ingredients just get dropped in the pan. Instead of noodles, I served it with the lemon and arugula couscous (from “Kitchen”). It soaked up the juices beautifully, and the flavors paired up perfectly! This is a perfect go-to when you want to impress but have no time or energy!
Made this dish yesterday and served it tonight for three…it was absolutely divine! Followed recipe except for the oyster mushrooms which I couldn’t get hold of…swapped for shiitake mushrooms. Partner and guest both commented that this dish was restaurant quality! Will definitely do again.
Have made this many times and stick to the original recipe. I do cook it the day before and reheat and add the double cream then. And works well with gluten free noodles.
Well, we couldn't wait until the next day, the smell....I also added fennel thinly sliced and instead of the dill I used the green fennel fronds to sprinkle over. It was all so simple and wonderful.
Wow, made this tonight! Didn't have leeks so substituted shallots, and didn't have oyster mushrooms so substituted a nice frozen mushroom mix. It was still incredibly delicious.
I don't do noodles often, so I threw a bit of roux in at the end after the cream, to thicken the broth slightly and make the stew into something a bit more substantial. It was amazingly good, and incredibly easy to cook. It looked and tasted like something that had been slaved over for hours, not something that took about 50 minutes from start to finish, with most of that time spent simmering in a pot unwatched.
I confess that I made this recipe just for myself, because it was so simple and fast after a long day at work. It was absolutely awesome for lunches the next couple of days too. Needless to say, it attracted several co-workers who were attracted by the savory, sweet aroma from being warmed up in our break area.
Really delicious. I made this for friends, who brought some lovely German wines to go with. I only have one quibble ... I only used a half a bottle of wine, and it was still awfully soupy. I poured off the broth and reduced it until it was syrupy. Worked wonderfully.
I made this with buttered fusili, and took the left over fusili and dumped it into the leftovers. OMG did this make it even tastier!!!
It is that slow cooker time of year again. Everything thrown in (with a can of cider rather than Riesling) except the mushrooms which I will add later and looking forward to having this with some rice tonight and the leftovers with pasta, a little cream or crème fraiche, garlic and a hint of chilli.
I could make this in my sleep at this point and I love it. A crowd pleaser and a dream for the cook - what could be better! I usually serve with salad, but lots of time we just put in bowls and dip in a baguette instead of noodles. Comfort food at it's best!
Do you know why I love Nigella's recipes? Because you can put everything in a pan and just leave it to cook. And when you're done, you are rewarded with an impressive meal that looks like way more effort was put in than is actually the case. Nigella, you're a rockstar. http://ruminator.co.nz/coq-au-riesling2/
I love this and have been making it for years. It also works well in a slow cooker. Just chuck everything in except the mushrooms. Add these about an hour before the end of cooking time so they retail some bite. If for a mid week meal I use a large can of cider rather than reisling and top up with chicken stock. I always make a huge pot as left overs are great with pasta (as Nigella says add cream) or make soup adding cooked floury potatoes to thicken.