Coq au Vin

Slow cook your Hannukah feastOlive oil

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons of porcini dust (dried porcini mushrooms ground to a powder in a food processor)

1 large Spanish onion, chopped

2 medium shallots, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 bottle (750 mL) dry red wine such as pinot noir

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup chicken stock

Bouquet garni of 6 thyme sprigs, 1 bay leaf, and 6 parsley sprigs, tied together with kitchen twine

3 cups pearl onions (about ¾ pound), peeled and sautéed (see note)

Preheat a slow cooker to low. Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Cook the mushrooms until they are browned and very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Reserve the mushrooms in a covered container. Turn off the heat under the saute pan.

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. Mix together the flour and porcini dust. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture. Return the saute pan to medium heat and add more oil if necessary. Brown the chicken pieces, in batches, on both sides, about 7 minutes per side. Transfer each batch of chicken to the insert. When all of the chicken has been browned, drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.

Cook the onion, shallots, carrots and celery in the saute pan, in batches, until the vegetables are lightly colored, about 5 minutes per batch. Season each batch with salt and pepper. Add the garlic to the last batch and cook for 3 minutes more until the garlic is very fragrant and has softened slightly. Transfer each batch of vegetables to the insert.

Increase the heat under the saute pan to medium-high and add the wine. Scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Transfer the wine to the insert. Add the tomato paste, stock and bouquet garni to the insert. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the chicken is very tender.

Gently remove the chicken pieces to a serving platter and set aside to keep warm, tented with foil. Pour the braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a large saucepan. Press on the vegetables to get all of the liquid, then discard the vegetables. Skim off and discard the fat. Bring the liquid to a boil, then simmer until about 2 cups remain.

Add the pearl onions and mushrooms to the sauce to warm them. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Serves four.

Chef's notes: The pearl onions and mushrooms can be cooked up to 2 days ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. The chicken and vegetables can be browned, combined with the other ingredients, and stored, covered, overnight in the refrigerator in a Dutch oven or casserole. (Do not store the ingredients in the slow cooker insert.) The next day, transfer the ingredients to the insert. Allow the ingredients to come to room temperature before cooking. Continue with the recipe as written.

To peel and saute the pearl onions, bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch the onions for 1 minute and then immediately plunge them into cold water. Drain the onions, cut off the root end, and the peel will easily slide off. To give the onions a gorgeous brown color and caramelized flavor, sauté them in olive oil or butter over medium heat until they are golden, about 5 minutes.

Reprinted with permission from “Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes” by Laura Frankel, Agate Surrey, 2015.