Coq Au Vin Kebabs

We are now entering Julia Child's territory. So please be polite. Watch your manners. Say "please and thank you." Keep your poise. No.Matter.What. Behave like a guest. Don't sit unless you've been offered a seat. Don't drink unless your host is drinking too. Sit up in your chair, don’t slouch your shoulders and watch your posture. Don't put your elbows on the table. Eat with your mouth closed, don’t chew your food loudly and don’t slurp your drink. Refrain from drumming your fingers, jiggling your knee, and keep your hands away from your hair. Only engage in appropriate conversation and remember that it’s rude to talk about money.
Oh, almost forgot, dress appropriately. (Hey Grandma! See? You’ve taught me well.)

Now that you know how to behave, when can talk about food.
Madame Child introduced coq au vin - chicken braised in red wine with onions, mushrooms, and lardons of pork - to Americans home cooks in 1963 with WGBH’s pioneering television series, The French Chef. Since then, it has been recreated in millions of American kitchens and there are countless versions of this classic French dish. Still, making coq au vin is no simple matter. Traditionally, the chicken (which should really be a cockerel) is marinated with vegetables and herbs in red wine. The vegetables, herbs and the red wine are then used to braise the chicken, for about 3 hours. Then veggies and herbs are discarded and the braising liquid is finished with butter and the rooster’s blood. Just before serving glazed pearl onions, sauteed mushrooms, and little lardons of bacon are stirred into the stew.

Some home cooks like take a couple of shortcuts to simplify this dish. Others, (ehm...ME) push the envelope even further by making coq au vin kebabs. I know, I know, this is not really coq au vin. There are all the flavors of coq au vin though: from deep red wine, to earthy mushrooms, sweet onions, woodsy herbs, and smoky bacon. I’m sure the French would probably say “Non, non, ceci n'est pas un coq au vin traditionnel!” But still, this is a superb, easy and unique take on the classic French dish. And as you bite into it, you’ll feel like you’re in some obscure Latin quarter dining spot. Trust.

One final note. Just so you know, there is a proper way to eat kebabs using a fork and knife. First off, you need to remove the food from the skewer. Hold the top of the kebab in your left hand with the other end of the kabob on the plate and slide off the veggies and meat with your fork. Take off just a few pieces at a time. Then cut the veggies and meat with your knife and fork as usual. When finished, place the emptied skewer at the top or left of your plate, never put it on the table. (Again, thank you grandma!)

Coq Au Vin Kebabs                                                                                                                 Print this recipe!

Ingredients

Serves 4

¾ lb / 340 gr free-range organic chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
½ cup / 125 ml red wine
6 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 shallots
8 mushrooms (cremini or white button), washed and stem removed
8 slices organic bacon
2 teaspoons mustard

Directions

Pour red wine in a small saucepan, add 2 sprigs of thyme and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce to about ⅓. Discard the thyme, whisk in mustard and 3 tablespoons of olive oil and set aside.
Strip off leaves from the remaining 4 thyme sprigs and combine in a small bowl with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
In a shallow dish or Ziploc bag combine chicken chunks and olive oil garlic marinade. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime, peel the shallots and cut them into quarters. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil, drop the quartered shallots and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Wrap the mushroom caps in bacon and set aside.
To assemble kebabs, alternate chicken, shallots and bacon wrapped mushrooms on each skewers.
Heat a grill (or a grill pan) over medium-high heat and grill for about 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.
In the meantime reheat the red wine mustard reduction.
When kebabs are ready, transfer to a platter, spoon red wine reduction over and serve!

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 365 calories, 30 grams of fat, 3 grams of carbs and 18 grams of protein.