Matt Preston gives the traditional French coq au vin an Italian–Spanish twist, enriching the red wine sauce with a hint of dark chocolate for a beautifully deep, aromatic flavour.

Ingredients

50 g unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 x 5 mm-thick slices speck, chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
16 whole eschalots
200 g button mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1.8 kg Thomas Farms whole chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups (750 ml) red wine
2 bay leaves
2 oregano sprigs, plus extra to serve
½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped, stalks reserved
2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock
6 allspice berries
2 whole cloves
2 cinnamon quills
1 tsp cumin seeds
20 g dark (70%) chocolate, grated
Buttered steamed brown rice, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat half the butter and oil in a large casserole over medium heat. Add speck, celery, and eschalots, and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add mushrooms and garlic, and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add remaining butter and oil to the pan. Season the chicken and brown in two batches for 6–8 minutes until golden. Return all chicken to the pan.
Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until lightly browned. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then pour in the wine, scraping the base of the pan.
Tie the bay leaves, oregano, and parsley stalks into a bouquet garni and add to the pan along with the stock, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and cumin seeds. Bring to the boil, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook for 50 minutes or until chicken is tender.
Remove the chicken and vegetables, discarding the cinnamon and bouquet garni. Return the sauce to the stove and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly reduced. Whisk in the grated chocolate until smooth.
Pour the sauce over the chicken, scatter with extra oregano, and serve with buttered brown rice.

Adapted from Taste.com.au — Red Wine & Chocolate Chicken (2020).

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