Coq au Vin

A grand French braise of chicken slowly simmered in Burgundy wine with pearl onions, mushrooms, and smoky lardons until meltingly tender. The kind of dish that fills the whole house with warmth.

Ingredients

• 4 lb bone-in skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
• 6 oz thick-cut bacon or lardons, diced
• 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red Burgundy wine
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
• 2 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Method

1. Season chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Working in batches, sear the chicken pieces skin-side down in the bacon fat until deeply golden, about 4 minutes per side. Set chicken aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the carrots, pearl onions, and mushrooms to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add garlic and tomato paste, stir for 1 minute.
4. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the entire bottle of wine and the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. Return the chicken and bacon to the pot. Add thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender.
6. Remove the chicken to a serving platter. Discard thyme stems and bay leaves. If the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to reduce. Stir in butter to enrich the sauce.
7. Spoon the sauce and vegetables over the chicken. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread or mashed potatoes.

Chef's note: Use a wine you would actually drink. Marinating the chicken in the wine overnight is traditional and deepens the flavor, but is not strictly necessary. This dish reheats beautifully the next day.

Nutrition per serving

More French recipes

• Ratatouille
• French Onion Soup
• Quiche Lorraine
• Creme Brulee