A robust twist on the classic Coq au Vin, this dish requires several steps to layer and meld the flavors. It is well worth the effort, and the good news is that it is best prepared a day in advance and slowly reheated.

Pollo al Vino Rosso

Serves 6-8
Prep Time: 40 minutes plus 6 to 24 hours for Dry Rub Marinade
Cook time: 2 hours

2 chickens, quartered, with skin and bones (can use all thighs or halved chicken breasts)

DRY RUB

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and blend with your fingertips. Can be prepared a week in advance and stored in a sealed container.

2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) coarse salt
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) each: fresh rosemary and oregano, finely minced
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) fresh thyme, finely minced
2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) each: sugar and fresh ground black pepper  

SAUCE

1/2 cup (125 milliliters) olive oil, divided, more if needed
5 ounces (148 grams) diced pancetta
1 cup (250 milliliters) all-purpose flour
1 each: onion, celery stalk, and carrot, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle hearty Italian red wine
3 cups (750 milliliters) chicken stock
2 bay leaves
¼ cup (60 milliliters) tomato paste
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) sugar 

MUSHROOMS

10 ounces (285 grams) Champignon (white button) mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) butter
½ teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) dried thyme
½ teaspoon (2.5 milliliters) salt
1/3 cup (80 milliliters) Italian parsley, finely minced, divided           

Directions

1. Dry rub chicken 6 to 24 hours before serving.  Place chicken on a sheet pan and distribute dry rub evenly over both sides of the chicken. Use your fingers to massage the rub into the chicken. Place a double thickness of paper towel on top of chicken and refrigerate until cooking.

2. Preheat oven to 350° F (176° C).  Place 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil and pancetta in a skillet large enough to hold half the kitchen. Brown pancetta over medium heat. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside in a small bowl. Wipe out the skillet and set aside while drying chicken pieces with paper towel, removing any excess dry rub. Place flour in a sturdy plastic bag and add half the chicken. Toss to coat chicken with the flour.

3. Reheat the skillet and add remaining olive oil. Heat until it shimmers. Add floured chicken pieces, skin side down, shaking off excess flour as you remove them from the bag. Brown chicken for about 5 minutes, flip, and brown another 3 minutes, regulating heat, so it doesn’t burn. Meanwhile, add remaining chicken to flour and shake to coat.

4. Place browned chicken, skin side up, in a roasting pan large enough to hold the chicken slightly overlapped or in one layer. If, after removing the first batch of chicken, the flour in the skillet is burned, discard, wipe pan clean, and add an additional 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) olive oil to skillet, reheat, and repeat browning process with remaining chicken.

5. When all the chicken is browned, pour off any excess oil, or, if needed, add 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil. Add diced vegetables and garlic, and sauté over medium-low heat for 4 minutes to soften. Add wine, increase heat to high, and reduce at a boil for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add chicken stock, bay leaves, tomato paste, and sugar. Continue boiling for 8 minutes. Add pancetta, then pour over chicken pieces, tucking in vegetables and pancetta. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in oven to cook.

6. Prepare mushrooms: melt butter in a large skillet. When butter has melted, add mushrooms, thyme, and salt. Shake and stir over medium heat until mushrooms give off their juice. Add half the parsley, remove from heat, and set aside.

7. After chicken has cooked for an hour, remove from oven, carefully uncover, and turn chicken pieces over, distributing mushrooms in with the vegetables. Baste, recover and cook an additional half hour. Remove from oven and serve or keep at room temperature for up to 4 hours. If longer than that, refrigerate well covered. If needed, reheat chicken in oven at 350° F (176° C) before serving, 20 minutes if chicken is at room temperature, and 40 minutes if chicken has been refrigerated.

8. Serve chicken over pappardelle noodles or polenta, cooked according to directions. Plate noodles or polenta, ladle with enough chicken sauce to liberally coat. Place a piece of chicken on top and coat with additional sauce. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve.

About Molesini Wine Club

This recipe was developed for Molesini Wine Club to be included in virtual tasting notes with wine shipments. Molesini Wine Club, based out of Cortona, Tuscany, features Italian wines that are otherwise unavailable outside of Europe. Marco and Paolo Molesini work closely with over 1,000 producers from across the country to ensure they are procuring the top labels from small producers making the finest boutique wines. Explore with them as they lead you through Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily, and many lesser-known wine regions of their country. Members can customize shipments, decide on a tier that fits their palate best, and enjoy exclusive access to the most stunning wines of Italy. As a member of the Molesini Wine Club means becoming part of the Molesini family and we invite you to join us for this experience. For more information, please visit the Molesini Wine Club website.