Slow Cooker Coq Au Vin

Do you guys watch Food Network?  It's one of the few channels that both Frank and I really love, and it's my go-to place for recipes.  I own a nice little library of cookbooks, but if I'm looking for a recipe for a specific dish, I typically go to foodnetwork.com and search their archives.  The fact that readers rate the recipes frequently helps me easily find a great-tasting dish.  I rarely settle for less than five stars.   For our third anniversary in November I searched for a special occasion meal reminiscent of our anniversary trip to France a few years ago (mentioned here) and came across Ina Garten's Coq Au Vin. (pronounced: coke oh vahn)  It seemed simple enough, and the five-star rating sold me.  I've made many Ina recipes before, and they are always delicious. 

I followed the recipe and the dish was superb!  I wanted to try it again this week, but decided to do most of the cooking in the crock pot to save time.  Here's what I did (the full recipe is at the bottom).

Ina calls for a whole chicken, but I just got a package of thighs.  I also used regular bacon instead of pancetta, and dried thyme instead of fresh.  I cut up the bacon and fried it:

I like it crispy, so once it got to that point, I threw it in the crock pot:

I salt and peppered the chicken right in the package:

and put that side down, right in the bacon fat:

Then I salt and peppered that other side right in the pan.  I left the chicken for a while (5-7 min) and made sure it browned before I flipped it and browned the other side. The package included 6 thighs, so I did this in two batches.

Then it went in the crock pot, too.  I sprinkled the flour into the fat to make a roux of sorts, stirring frequently.  This will help thicken the dish as it cooks. 

Next I threw it, along with everything else, into the crock pot.

  Since I got pre-sliced mushrooms, I only had to chop an onion, carrots, and garlic.  I regularly make batches of chicken stock and freeze them in measured bags, so I just tossed in a chunk of frozen chicken stock along with the thyme, wine, brandy, and frozen pearl onions.  You could certainly use store-bought stock, though. 

I set the timer for 5 hours on low, then went out to run errands.  I can't tell you how divine the house smelled when I walked back in!   This is one of the many perks of crock-pot cooking!  When I stirred the pot, the chicken was so tender, it started to fall apart.

I cooked up some jasmine rice, and dinner was ready to go!

Next time I'll have some crusty bread to sop up that yummy jus.  This recipe also freezes well, if you want to save half for an even easier meal later.

Here's the recipe, modified from this one from food network:

Coq Au Vin

• 4 ounces good bacon, diced
• 1 pound of chicken thighs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup  brandy
• 1/2 bottle (375 ml)  red wine 
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 pound frozen pearl onions
• 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until crispy. Remove the bacon to your slow cooker with a slotted spoon.

Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5-7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the slow cooker with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done.  Sprinkle the flour into the bacon fat and stir to combine.  Cook the flour, constantly stirring, for 3 minutes, or until light brown.  Pour this into the slow cooker.
Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker.   Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours.   Serve over roasted potatoes or rice with crusty bread. 

Do you guys have favorite crock-pot recipes?  If so, do share.  I'm always on the lookout for good ones.