Coq au Vin — Chicken in Wine
Experience the rich flavors of classic French cuisine with this Coq au Vin recipe. Tender chicken braised in red wine with mushrooms and bacon, perfect for a comforting and elegant meal.
Coq au Vin — Chicken in Wine
Experience the rich flavors of classic French cuisine with this Coq au Vin recipe. Tender chicken braised in red wine with mushrooms and bacon, perfect for a comforting and elegant meal.
Key move
Achieve a deep, complex flavor by properly searing the chicken and flambéing the cognac.
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The Setup
- Dutch Oven6-quart
- Knife
- Cutting Board
The Mise en Place
5 of 16Your prep station before cooking begins
The Dry Mix (0/15)
Chicken is not browning properly.
Make sure the pot is hot enough and do not overcrowd it. Sear the chicken in batches.
Sauce is too thin.
Simmer the sauce for a longer period to reduce it. You can also add a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water) to thicken it.
Chef's Notes
Sear chicken pieces in batches to ensure a deep brown crust, not steam.
Deglaze the pan with brandy before adding wine to build a richer flavor base.
Coq au Vin tastes even better the next day. Make it ahead and reheat gently.
Serve with crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce, or over mashed potatoes.
The Method
SEASON
Pat the chicken (1800 g) pieces dry with paper towels and season generously with salt (1 tsp) and pepper.
Chicken is patted dry and seasoned.
HEAT
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil (2 tbsp) over medium-high heat.
Olive oil is shimmering in the Dutch oven.
SEAR
Sear the chicken (1800 g) pieces in batches, skin-side down first, until golden brown on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pot. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Overcrowding: Crowding steams instead of browning. Sear in batches and leave space.
Chicken pieces are golden brown on all sides.
ADD
Add the bacon (8 slices) to the pot and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
Bacon is crispy and removed from the pot.
ADD
Add the onion (1 large), carrots (2 medium), and mushrooms to the pot and cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes.
Onions, carrots, and mushrooms are softened.
ADD
Add the garlic (4 cloves) and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Garlic is fragrant.
SPRINKLE
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Flour is incorporated and cooked for 1 minute.
POUR
Time-sensitivePour in the cognac (¼ cups) and carefully ignite it with a long match or lighter. Let the flames subside.
Flames from the cognac have subsided.
POUR
Pour in the red wine and chicken (1800 g)chicken broth (1 cup). Stir in the tomato paste (2 tbsp), thyme (2 sprigs) sprigs, and bay leaf (1 leaf). Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Liquid is simmering and browned bits are scraped from the bottom.
RETURN
Return the chicken (1800 g) to the pot, nestling it into the sauce. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low.
Scorch risk: Reductions can go from perfect to burnt fast. Keep an eye on the bottom and stir if needed.
Chicken is in the pot, sauce is simmering, and pot is covered.
BRAISE
Braise for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the chicken (1800 g) is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
Chicken is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
REMOVE
Remove the chicken (1800 g) from the pot and set aside. Discard the thyme (2 sprigs) sprigs and bay leaf (1 leaf).
Chicken is removed, thyme and bay leaf are discarded.
SIMMER
Simmer the sauce over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, or until it has reduced and thickened to your desired consistency.
Sauce has reduced and thickened to desired consistency.
RETURN
Return the chicken (1800 g) and bacon (8 slices) to the pot and heat through.
Chicken and bacon are heated through in the sauce.
SERVE
Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley (optional).
Dish is served hot.
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