Coq au Vin is a classic French dish originating from Burgundy, that combines tender, slow-braised chicken with rich red wine, bacon, earthy mushrooms, and savoury herbs.
Traditionally, the dish was a way to make use of older roosters, which required slow cooking to tenderize the meat.
This comforting recipe is steeped in tradition, serve it for a special gathering or a cozy night in and bring the essence of French countryside cooking straight to your table. Best enjoyed with crusty bread to soak up the delicious wine-infused sauce!
Serves 4
Mis en Place
Chicken Legs & Thighs, 8 pieces total
6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and crushed
2 C. Dry Red Wine,
full bodied from Burgundy region or Chianti or Côtes du Rhône
5 Stems of Thyme
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
125 G./ 1/4 Pound Bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 C. Cognac or Brandy
1 Tsp. Herbes de Provence
1 C. Button Mushrooms, halved or quartered
1 C. Chicken Stock
1 C. Pearl Onions, peeled
2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, room temperature
3 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour
Coarse Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Crusty Bread, for serving
Method
Step 1
Day Before Cooking
The day before cooking, place the chicken pieces in a pot or sealable bag and cover with 2 cups of red wine, 2 sprigs of thyme and garlic cloves.
Place in refrigerator overnight to marinate.
*This helps the chicken fill with flavour from the wine
Step 2
Day of Cooking
Remove chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade and garlic cloves and pat the pieces dry with paper towels.
Set chicken aside.
Finely chop garlic cloves and also set aside.
Step 3
Place olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven pot and add bacon, stirring occasionally until bacon begins to crisp.
Using a slotted spoon remove and transfer to a plate. Set aside.
Step 4
Next add the chicken to the pot, working in batches if necessary, browning all sides.
Place all chicken back into the pot, along with the bacon and place over medium-low heat.
Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cover and cook for roughly 10 minutes.
Step 5
Next, remove lid, and add cognac or brandy.
Cook off the alcohol for a few seconds, and then add chopped garlic, herbes de Provence along with a few more sprigs of thyme, mushrooms, red wine and chicken stock.
Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and slightly cover pot with lid and simmer the chicken until tender for roughly 30 minutes.
Step 6
Uncover the pot and add peeled pearl onions, let simmer for 10 minutes until they are tender.
If too much liquid has evaporated add a little more wine, roughly 1/2 cup.
Step 7
In the meantime, combine butter with flour until smooth, add 1 cup of simmering liquid to the butter flour mixture beurre manié, and stir until emulsified. Transfer back to the pot and stir to combine.
Let the mixture cook until the mixture has thickened the sauce and gives a slight glossy appearance,
roughly 2-5 minutes.
Check seasoning, adding more salt if needed.
Serve alongside crusty bread.
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