Coq au Vin
Chicken braised in red wine with mushrooms, pearl onions, and smoky lardons. A rustic French classic that rewards patience with deep, complex flavor.
Ingredients
(12 items)Braise
- 4 lbs bone-in chicken pieces, thighs and drumsticks preferred
- ⅜ lb thick-cut bacon, cut into lardons
- 2 cups dry red wine, such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ lb cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 cup pearl onions, peeled
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
Details
French
Preparation Steps
- 01
Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ⅜ lbbacon lardons until crispy, about 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
⏱ 6 min - 02
Working in batches, brown the 4 lbschicken pieces in the rendered ⅜ lbbacon fat, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside with the lardons.
⏱ 8 min - 03
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the 1 cuppearl onions and ½ lbmushrooms and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add 3 clovesgarlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
⏱ 5 min 30s - 04
Stir in the 2 tbsptomato paste and 2 tbspflour, cooking for 1 minute. Deglaze the pot with the 2 cupsred wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom.
⏱ 1 min - 05
Add the 1 cupchicken stock, 3 sprigsthyme, and 2bay leaves. Return the chicken and lardons to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low.
- 06
Braise gently for 1 hour 30 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and the sauce has thickened and turned glossy.
⏱ 90 min - 07
Remove the 2bay leaves and 3 sprigsthyme sprigs. Stir in the 2 tbspbutter to enrich the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- 08
Serve hot over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread, spooning plenty of sauce and vegetables over each portion.
Ratings
Source: Julia Child