Coq au Vin
Coq au Vin is a classic French chicken stew featuring tender chicken, mushrooms, and a rich sauce perfect for cozy dinners.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Braising, Oven-Baked
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the Chicken
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2½ tablespoons vegetable oil
For the Braise
4 ounces lardons or slab bacon, diced
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 bottle (750 ml) red wine (Burgundy or Pinot Noir preferred)
1 bay leaf
5 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
3 cups chicken stock
For the Garnish
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces pearl onions, peeled
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
⅓ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Optional Beurre Manié
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon softened butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden and crisp, about 6–8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add more oil if needed and brown the chicken pieces on all sides, working in batches if necessary, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a plate with the bacon.
Remove excess fat from the pot if necessary, leaving about 1 tablespoon and all the browned bits.
Reduce heat to medium and add the onion and carrots. Cook for 3 minutes until softened.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the flour and cook for another minute.
Pour in the red wine, add the thyme and bay leaf, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Simmer until the wine reduces by half, about 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Return the chicken, bacon, and any accumulated juices to the pot.
Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
Prepare the Pearl Onions and Mushrooms
About 15 minutes before the chicken is done, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the pearl onions with a pinch of salt and cook until browned, about 5–8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add the remaining oil and butter to the skillet and sauté the mushrooms until golden brown, about 8–10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside with the onions.
Finish the Sauce
Remove the chicken from the pot and tent loosely with foil. Discard the bay leaf and thyme bundle.
If desired, make a beurre manié by mixing softened butter and flour together.
Place the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and whisk in the beurre manié until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.
Taste and adjust seasoning.
Stir in ¼ cup chopped parsley, followed by the cooked pearl onions and mushrooms.
Return the chicken to the pot or arrange on a serving platter and spoon the sauce over the top.
Garnish with the remaining parsley and serve.
Notes
Burgundy wine is traditional, but Pinot Noir works beautifully.
For deeper flavor, marinate the chicken in the wine overnight before cooking.
Beurre manié is optional but creates a richer, silkier sauce.
Serve with mashed potatoes, crusty bread, buttered noodles, or roasted vegetables.
Leftovers taste even better the next day.
Find it online: http://elladishes.com/coq-au-vin/
