Mary's Coq au Vin Blanc

We love coq au vin but when internet friend, Mary, posted this coq au vin blanc on her blog, One Perfect Bite, I knew I had to make it. It's an easy recipe to do and uses Riesling instead of a red wine as coq au vin does. Of course, coming from the Alsace region of France, using Riesling makes perfect sense. I, however, shook things up a bit and used a Riesling from Australia! (Stoneybrook, a good Riesling even though it came with a screw cap!) And we drank the rest with dinner.
It was a cold and snowy night and comfort food was called for -- this is one of those perfect comfort food dishes. It was simple to prepare and didn't require a long stew as so many coq au vin recipes do. Of course, the original purpose of coq au vin was to cook an old rooster. An old tough rooster. Our supermarket chickens are much younger and much more tender. A long simmer is not needed so this recipe is perfect!
Served with oven roasted Yukon golds and green beans (a new spin on the summer classic of green beans and new potatoes) it was a perfect meal for a snowy eve. Served, of course, as all meals are in December, on the Christmas china. It's no wonder that we eat very little soup in December!

The recipe, from Mary, has been renamed by me -- to Mary's Coq au Vin Blanc. A way to remember an old friend.

Mary's Coq au Vin Blanc

5 T. unsalted butter
One 3 1/2 pound chicken quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large shallot, minced
2 T. Cognac (optional)
1 cup dry Riesling
6 ounces white mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 T. flour
1/3 cup heavy cream

Melt 2 T. butter in a large skillet. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until slightly browned, about 4 min per side. Add shallot and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add Cognac, and carefully ignite it with a long match. When flames subside, add Riesling, cover and simmer over low heat until chicken breasts are just cooked, about 25 min. Transfer breasts to a large plate and cover with foil. Cover and simmer legs until cooked through, about 10 min. longer. Transfer to plate.

Meanwhile in a medium skillet, melt 2 T. of butter. Add mushrooms, season with salt and papper and cook over low heat until liquid evaporates, about 7 min. Increase heat to moderate and cook, stirring, until browned, about 3 min.

In a bowl, blend flour and remaining 1 T. butter. Stir cream into the large skillet, bring to a simmer. Gradually whisk flour paste into cooking liquid and simmer, whisking until no floury taste remains, about 3 min longer. Season with salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the skillet, add mushrooms and briefly reheat.