Coq au Vin

This is a well-known French dish in which the chicken (originally an old cockerel) is marinated overnight in red wine to both tenderise the meat and give it extra flavour. It's an ideal way to use up that last bit of wine left in the bottle.

Serves 1

1 chicken quarter
100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup red wine
1 small onion, chopped, or 30 ml/2 tbsp frozen diced onion
2.5 ml/½ tsp garlic purée (paste)
2.5 ml/½ tsp dried thyme or mixed herbs
75 ml/3 fl oz/5 tbsp very hot (not boiling) chicken stock
100 g/4 oz baby button mushrooms or frozen whole or sliced mushrooms
15 ml/1 tbsp fresh or frozen chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove the skin from the chicken and place in a dish in which it fits fairly snugly. Pour the wine over. Cover tightly and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. Put the onion in the ceramic cooking pot. Add the garlic, herbs and stock and stir until blended. Add the mushrooms, followed by the chicken and the marinade.
3. Switch on the slow cooker to Auto, cover with the lid and cook for 3-4 hours or until the chicken is very tender and thoroughly cooked.
4. Transfer the chicken to a warm plate. Stir the parsley into the sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken and serve at once with new, creamed or sautéed potatoes.

Cook's tip
This dish is also good made with rosé or white wine instead of red. If liked, add a few fresh or frozen whole baby carrots and mini new potatoes to the cooking pot to make an all-in-one dish.

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