Coq au Vin

I was not going to eat dinner.  It's hot outside and I am sweating; however, I took a nibble of the chicken and my taste buds flipped.  After the first bite, my youngest stated, "This is a make again!" The meal ended with 6 hands digging into the carcass and the smacking or lips.

At four o'clock I grabbed some cookbooks and decided on chicken, Jacques Pepin and a pressure cooker.  Now all I needed was a recipe.  Sweet and sour caught my eye, a real crowd pleaser in my house, but I was not sold.  I flipped the page and Coq Au Vin jumped out at me or rather the use of pearl onions.  Recently, I purchased frozen ones at Trader Joes without any idea how to use them.  Now to merge two recipes with a lot of modifications: The Official Presto Pressure Cooker Cookbook and  Jacques Pepin Today's Gourmet and my laziness at not wanting to cut up a whole chicken.

Coq au Vin or Poulet au Vin Rouge

from Jacques Pepin, Presto and Me

1 kosher organic chicken
12 pearl onions peeled or 1/2 bag of frozen not defrosted
2T olive oil
1/2t sugar
8oz crimini mushrooms quartered (I was told more next time so 16oz next time)
1 sweet onion sliced
1 medium organic carrot sliced
1 cup red wine (I used 2 buck Chuck cab)
1 cup water
3 garlic cloves minced
3 fresh thyme springs
2 bay leaves
freshly ground pepper
1t corn starch dissolved in 2T red wine
1/4 cup brandy

~ place pearl onions with 1T olive oil, the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a sauce pan
~ bring to a boil over high heat
~ boil until water  evaporates and onions start to fry
~ cook until onions are browned on all sides
~ add mushrooms saute for 1 minute
~ set aside and cover
~ heat pressure cooker pot and add 1T olive oil
~ brown chicken on both sides
~ remove chicken
~ add sliced sweet onion and carrots and saute until onions are soft and start to brown
~ put chicken back in pot
~ add 1 cup wine, 1/2 cup water, thyme, garlic, bay leaves and pepper
~ place lid on and bring to high pressure
~ maintain high pressure for 13 minutes
~ allow pressure to drop on it's own
~ remove chicken and plate
~ remove onions and carrots and discard
~ add cornstarch mixture to cooking liquid heat high heat
~ bring to a boil and allow to thicken
~ add mushroom/pearl onion mixture and their juices to cooking liquid
~ pour brandy into liquid
~ continue boiling about 2 minutes
~ top chicken with sauce