Cheater’s Coq au Vin

One of my favorite dishes at a French restaurant is Coq au Vin, a rich chicken dish braised in a red wine and mushroom infusion.  I thought of making this last week, but was missing a couple of ingredients, and decided to make a cheater’s version, with more vegetables, less wine, and skipping a few steps.  It still turned out great.  I served this over a bed of mashed potatoes.  If you prefer lower carb eating, it would be great over mashed cauliflower as well.

Cheater’s Coq au Vin

8 chicken thighs (I use skin on, bone in)
2 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
olive oil
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 peeled and chopped carrots
1 cup chopped mushrooms
sprig of rosemary
1 can 14 oz. diced tomatoes
2 T red wine vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup rinsed and drained canned white beans
1 cup green beans, cut into one inch pieces

In a heavy bottom stew pot, fry the bacon pieces to render the fat; remove from the pan, add a bit of olive oil if there is not much oil.  Brown the chicken thighs in the bacon fat and olive oil, about 5 minutes per side until golden, but not cooked through.  Remove to a plate.  In the same pot, saute the onions, garlic carrots and mushrooms until they begin to soften, about 8 minutes.  Add the rosemary, then the tomatoes, vinegar, red wine and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, and let cook for about 3 minutes.  Add the chicken pieces back, nestling them into the cooking liquid.  Bring the pot back to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes.  Then add the drained white beans and green beans, stir well, bring to a boil and cook until green beans are tender, about 10 more minutes.  For a extra rich dish, stir in a tablespoon of butter before serving.

shared at $5 Dinners, Works for Me Wednesday, Nourishing Gourmet, Food Renegade, and Tempt My Tuesday