Description
A classic French dish featuring tender chicken braised in red wine with bacon, onions, mushrooms, and aromatic herbs, resulting in a rich and flavorful stew perfect for a comforting dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
Bacon and Vegetables
- 4 ounces lardons or slab bacon, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Liquids and Herbs
- 1 bottle (750ml) red wine, preferably a Burgundy or Pinot Noir
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
- 3 cups chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
Butter and Vegetables
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces peeled pearl onions
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
Thickening Agent (Optional)
- Beurre manié: 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon softened butter
Garnish
- ⅓ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350ºF to prepare for braising the chicken.
- Season Chicken: Pat dry the chicken pieces and season generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Cook Bacon: Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add diced lardons or bacon and cook until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- Brown Chicken: Add more oil if needed and brown the chicken pieces in batches to avoid overcrowding, about 8-10 minutes until golden on all sides. Remove chicken and bacon to a plate and reserve.
- Prepare Vegetables: Drain excess fat if needed, leaving about 1 tablespoon in pot. Lower heat to medium and sauté onion and carrots until onions soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Add Tomato Paste and Flour: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about a minute. Add flour and cook another minute to eliminate raw flour taste.
- Deglaze with Wine: Pour in the red wine, add thyme sprigs and bay leaf, and scrape browned bits from the pot bottom. Simmer until wine reduces by half, about 10 minutes, skimming foam from the surface.
- Add Stock and Chicken: Add chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then add back chicken, bacon, and any juices from the plate.
- Braise in Oven: Cover the pot and transfer to the oven; cook for 45 minutes until chicken is very tender.
- Cook Onions and Mushrooms: When 15 minutes remain, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown pearl onions with a pinch of salt, about 5-8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté Mushrooms: Add another tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter to the pan, sauté mushrooms until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside with onions.
- Remove Chicken and Herbs: After braising, remove chicken pieces to a plate and tent with foil. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
- Thicken Sauce (Optional): Mix softened butter and flour to make beurre manié. Return pot to stove over medium-high heat, add beurre manié to sauce to thicken. Adjust consistency with more stock or wine if needed.
- Season and Add Herbs: Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in ¼ cup chopped parsley, reserving the rest for garnish.
- Combine Vegetables: Stir pearl onions and mushrooms into the sauce.
- Serve: Either return chicken to the pot, garnish with remaining parsley, and serve directly or serve chicken on a platter with sauce spooned over and garnished with parsley.
Notes
- Coq au Vin is a great make-ahead dish; flavors improve after resting 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days.
- Freeze cooked Coq au Vin for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- When reheating, remove any solidified fat and gently warm on the stove or in a 350ºF oven for about 30 minutes, adding liquid as needed.
- Pearl onions can be peeled easily by blanching them in boiling water for 1 minute, then shocking in ice water before removing skins.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 600 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg
