Donnie Brasco – Coq au Vin

May 14, 2010 by Chiara Tarenzi -

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“Forget about it!” Does it ring a bell? It’s “Donnie Brasco” and I’m sure you know all the lines by heart. For those who haven’t fallen head over heels for this movie and those who are proud they have, read away.

“Donnie Brasco” is a true story, of an FBI New York agent, working under a fake name, who makes his way into the big mafia family. But this is only Donnie 101. He needs to get as close as possible to the top of the mafioso system, but it isn’t easy if you are nobody.

Lucky for our secret agent, there is a man, Leftie, who takes him in, almost like a son, and teaches him the real deal of the business and helps him out, risking everything he’s ever gained for Donnie. “I die with you, Donnie.”

Out of all the scenes, the coq au vin cooking scene beets them all. Bonding over a delicious home-cooked meal, what could two men want more? Lefty cooks and shushes Annette, who was complementing his cooking with: “Shut up Annette!”

But what happens when it’s time to reveal the truth? Will Brasco accomplish his mission? Or will he be one of them?

This movie kicks all other movies out the charts. It’s hilarious and witty and, trust me on this, you won’t be able to sit still until the very end.

Coq au Vin Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 lb bacon slices
20 pearl onions, peeled, or 1 large yellow onion, sliced
3 lbs chicken thighs and legs
6 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups red wine (pinot noir, burgundy, or zinfandel)
2 bay leaves
Several fresh thyme sprigs
Several fresh parsley sprigs
1/2 lb button mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 Tbsp butter
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

Blanch the bacon to remove some of its saltiness. Drop the bacon into a saucepan of cold water, covered by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, drain. Rinse in cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Cut the bacon into 1 inch by 1/4 inch pieces.
Brown bacon on medium high heat in a dutch oven big enough to hold the chicken, about 10 minutes. Remove the cooked bacon, set aside. Keep the bacon fat in the pan. Working in batches if necessary, add onions and chicken, skin side down. Brown the chicken well, on all sides, about 10 minutes. Halfway through the browning, add the garlic and sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. (Note: it is best to add salt while cooking, not just at the very end. It brings out the flavor of the chicken).
Spoon off any excess fat. Add the chicken stock, wine, and herbs. Add back the bacon. Lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove chicken and onions to a separate platter. Remove the bay leaves, herb sprigs, garlic, and discard.
Add mushrooms to the remaining liquid and turn the heat to high. Boil quickly and reduce the liquid by three fourths until it becomes thick and saucy. Lower the heat, stir in the butter. Return the chicken and onions to the pan to reheat and coat with sauce. Adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Cooking time: 45 minutes. – Servings: 6. – Back to Top

Tags: 1970s, a friend of mine, a friend of ours, al pacino, benjamin ruggiero, bonanno crime family, coq au vin, dominick napolitano, donnie brasco, fbi agent, johnny depp, joseph d. pistone, lefty, made man, mafia five families, new york city, sonny black, vero beach florida

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