If you’ve ever had Coq Au Vin then you understand how I feel about this classic French dish. The rustic provencal stew has a complexity of flavors that brings moans to the table.
I encountered this classic French dish on my first trip to Paris and it’s been a family favorite ever since. Although there are a few extra steps in this dish, it’s not difficult to make and you don’t need a long list of exotic ingredients.
What is Coq au Vin?
Coq au Vin is a French dish of chicken braised with wine, lardons, mushrooms, and garlic. A red Burgundy wine is typically used.
You can also find this farmhouse dish made in many regions of France make variations using different wines. So if Burgundy isn’t your favorite or available you can swap it out for your favorite wine.
What do I need to make Coq au Vin?
But enough shop talk lets get to the star of the post, Coq Au Vin. As always I like to gather my ingredients together before I start to make the cooking process easier and more enjoyable. This is your Mise en Place (everything in its place).
Since I’m using easily accessed ingredients I’ve swapped out the lardons for bacon. I would suggest trying to find fresh herbs for this dish. They can usually be found in any chain grocer these days in the produce section, conveniently packed in small plastic containers.
I do suggest using Burgundy for your first attempt at this classic dish. Once you see how easy it is to make you can try other wines.
One of a chef’s greatest tools and secret in any restaurant are good quality soup bases.
Yes, we do make stocks from scratch when time permits, but even those need a little boost from time to time or just don’t make enough.
Do I have to marinate the chicken?
As expected my Coq Au Vin was ah-mazingly delicious. And one of the contributing factors was marinating the chicken ahead of time.
Testing has revealed that marinating for as little as 20 minutes can really help the flavor, but I always like to marinate overnight whenever possible. Use a ziplock bag and squeeze all the air out as you seal the bag. Place it in your fridge overnight (on a plate, just in case it leaks) massaging the bag a few times during the process.
Use a ziplock bag and squeeze all the air out as you seal the bag. Place it in your fridge overnight (on a plate, just in case it leaks) massaging the bag a few times during the process.
Important Steps in making Coq au Vin:
There’s not a lot to the dish in terms of difficulty, but if there were two points I’d emphasize they’d be to braise the chicken without moving it for 7-8 minutes to get that rich crispness to the skin. And to sauté the mushrooms for at least 5-6 minutes to allow them to caramelize, building rich flavors in the process.
Coq Au Vin is a simple dish but as I stated in earlier, there is a complexity of flavors that makes you moan.
This classic is generally served with parslied buttered baby potatoes, but my wife loves mashed so I made a buttery mashed potato to go with my Coq Au Vin. Happy wife = Happy life.
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love!
Coq Au Vin
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 slices bacon diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- 6 small white onions cut in half or quartered depending upon size
- 2-3 cloves garlic mashed
- 2 carrots peeled and rough cut
- ½ bottle of full-body red wine
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 ounces Chicken Stock made with Better Than Bouillon® Premium Roasted Chicken Base
- unsalted butter
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 large skin on, bone in chicken thighs
Instructions
- Add chicken to a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Pour in one cup red wine and seal bag, pressing out air. Let stand while you prepare the remaining ingredients or overnight for the best results.
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a large Dutch oven or rondeau, cook bacon over medium-high heat, stirring and reducing heat as necessary to prevent scorching, until browned and fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Remove chicken from zipper-lock bag, discard wine, and pat dry.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Return Dutch oven with rendered bacon fat to medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs skin-side down, and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, about 5 minutes. Don’t move the chicken around while cooking, allow it to sear in place. Use a spatula to get under the chicken when turning being careful not to rip the skin.
- Remove Chicken from pan setting aside until needed
- Add mushrooms to pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add onions, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add bacon, the remainder of the wine, tomato paste, chicken stock, thyme and rosemary and bring to a simmer, stirring up any browned bits.
- Add chicken back to pan, leaving skin side up and not submerged if possible. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour.
- Remove pan from the oven and take the chicken out of the pan.
- Add in two tablespoons of unsalted butter that has been rolled in flour, getting as much flour into the butter as possible. This is called a beurre manie and will thicken your sauce. Mix the beurre manie in well and allow to simmer over medium heat.
- Return chicken to pot, spooning sauce on top. Garnish with remaining sprig of thyme or rosemary. Serve with potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Nutrition
Debra
Hello Chef Dennis-
Thank you so much for all your fabulous recipes and detail!
Quick question: can I make this with beef or with boneless chicken breasts? If so-what type of beef? I despise meat on bones (I’m a bit weird). You probably haven’t swapped the chicken thighs for either beef or boneless breasts -but, I thought I’d ask.
Thank yoi
Chef Dennis Littley
you could use boneless chicken breasts but they would be really tough cooking that long. You could use boneless thighs, they would hold up better. You could use beef (chuck) but it would need to cook around 2.5 hours for it to be tender enough.
Your other option is to make the dish without the chicken and grill or pan-sear the boneless (marinated) chicken breasts and serve them with the sauce
Gerrette Bitetti
Hello, hello!
This recipe sounds fabulous! I typically make mine with white wine, celery and likes for a spring version which is easy to make a day ahead for guests.
I am planning on making this burgundy and traditional version for New Years Eve. Question is, how would you advise to make this ahead of time? I’d rather be enjoying our lockdown with our kids than cooking away on New Years Eve.
Chef Dennis Littley
you can make this the day before and reheat in the oven. You may just need to adjust the sauce and freshen up the dish with some fresh herbs and garnishes.
Craig
Perfect timing Chef, I’ve got a bag of frozen pearl onions I’ve been wanting to cook and now have your recipe to use them! We have Boordy Vineyards here in Maryland and I’ll let you know how it turned out…but I think we already know it will be fantastic!
Thank you Chef!
Audre
This is a fantastic recipe. Full of flavor and instructions were easy to follow. Thank you
Tavia
So Good! Will be my second time making it tonight. 20 minutes marinating the chicken was enough for flavour the first time, will try marinating for longer this time. This is seriously Delectable. I made creamy rosemary mashed potatoes and used the extra sauce from this recipe as the gravy. This is quite the process to make, but if you have the time and enjoy cooking, it is well worth it. Also, when you make the little flour butter balls, make extra and freeze them for the next time you make this recipe!!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for the comment and great review Tavia. It is a little work but the results are well worth it. I use those floured butter balls to thicken up any pan sauce, it works wonders.
Monique
One of the best recipes I have ever made! It was like a symphony of flavor. Our kids ( yrs 4&1) cleaned their plates. Leftovers, are you kidding! There wasn’t even a single bit of sauce. I was disappointed because I forgot to buy mushrooms. We sliced corn on cobs and added it to the recipe instead. It was still amazing. I am looking forward to making the recipe again with mushrooms minus the corn. Thank you for sharing!
Donna
Just made this last night. It was amazing. I have never seen my boyfriend eat so fast. We loved it. Thank you.
Chef Dennis Littley
that’s what I like to hear!