Coq au Vin - Classic French Red Wine Braised Chicken
Equipment
- Equipment
- 5–7 quart heavy Dutch oven
- Tongs
- Sauté pan
- Avoid thin-bottomed pots.
Ingredients
Ingredients
For the Braise
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 4 bone-in skin-on drumsticks
- about 3–3½ lbs total chicken
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 oz lardons or thick-cut bacon diced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups dry Burgundy or Pinot Noir
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
For the Garnish
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms halved
- 1 cup pearl onions peeled
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Chopped parsley optional
Instructions
Instructions
- Pat dry 4 chicken thighs and 4 drumsticks (about 3–3½ lbs total) and season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Render 4 oz lardons in a Dutch oven over medium heat until golden, 6–8 minutes. Remove and reserve.
- Increase heat to medium-high and sear the chicken skin-side down in batches until deeply browned, about 6–7 minutes per side. Remove and reserve.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 diced onion and 2 sliced carrots and cook 5–6 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons flour and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Deglaze with 2½ cups dry Burgundy or Pinot Noir, scraping up fond. Simmer 3–4 minutes.
- Add 1 cup chicken stock, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf, and reserved lardons. Return chicken. Liquid should reach halfway up the pieces.
- Cover and braise at 325°F (or maintain a gentle simmer) for 65–75 minutes, until both thighs and drumsticks are tender.
- Sauté 8 oz mushrooms and 1 cup pearl onions in 1 tablespoon butter until golden, about 8–10 minutes.
- Remove chicken. Discard thyme and bay. Reduce sauce uncovered 10–15 minutes until it coats a spoon.
- Return chicken, mushrooms, and onions to the pot and simmer 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
- Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Notes
Wine choice matters. Use a dry Pinot Noir or Burgundy with moderate tannin. Avoid Cabernet Sauvignon or heavily oaked wines, which can turn bitter during reduction.
Brown deeply. The color of the final sauce depends on proper searing at the start. Pale chicken equals pale flavor.
Do not boil. Maintain a gentle simmer. A hard boil tightens the meat and makes the wine harsh.
Reduce until it coats a spoon. The sauce should be silky, not thick like gravy and not watery.
This dish improves overnight. The flavors settle and deepen after resting.
Storage
Refrigerator:
Store in an airtight container up to 3 days. Flavor improves on day two. Reheating:
Reheat gently over low heat. Do not boil. Add a splash of stock if the sauce tightens too much. Freezing:
Freeze up to 2 months. For best texture, freeze without mushrooms and add freshly sautéed mushrooms when reheating.
Store in an airtight container up to 3 days. Flavor improves on day two. Reheating:
Reheat gently over low heat. Do not boil. Add a splash of stock if the sauce tightens too much. Freezing:
Freeze up to 2 months. For best texture, freeze without mushrooms and add freshly sautéed mushrooms when reheating.
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