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.
150 min total, minimal dishes
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.
150 min total, minimal dishes
Key move
Achieve a deep, complex flavor by properly searing the chicken and flambéing the cognac.
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Larger text, ingredients in reach, and saved step progress while you cook.
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.
Soggy skin: If the chicken is damp, it will not brown properly, resulting in a lack of depth in the final sauce.
Chicken is patted dry and seasoned.
HEAT
In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil (2 tbsp) over medium-high heat.
Smoking oil: If the oil begins to smoke, remove from heat immediately as it has reached its smoke point.
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.
Crowding the pan: Overcrowding drops the temperature, causing the chicken to steam instead of sear.
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.
Burnt fat: If the fat turns dark brown or black, it will impart an acrid, bitter flavor to the entire dish.
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.
Uneven cooking: Crowding the pot can cause the vegetables to steam rather than soften and sweeten.
Onions, carrots, and mushrooms are softened.
ADD
Add the garlic (4 cloves) and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Bitter garlic: Burnt garlic ruins the flavor profile of the sauce. If it browns, remove from heat immediately.
Garlic is fragrant.
SPRINKLE
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Scorched flour: If the flour browns too quickly or smells acrid, remove from heat immediately to avoid a burnt base.
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.
Fire hazard: Ensure the range hood fan is off before igniting to avoid pulling flames into the ventilation system.
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.
Scorched fond: If the browned bits are black rather than dark brown, they are burnt and will make the sauce bitter.
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.
Boiling the meat: Keep the heat low; a vigorous boil will toughen the chicken fibers.
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.
Boiling too hard: Maintain a gentle simmer; a rolling boil will toughen the chicken fibers.
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).
Overcooked meat: If the chicken is left in the sauce too long after becoming tender, it will become stringy and dry.
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.
Breaking the sauce: Avoid excessive heat, which can cause the sauce to separate or become grainy.
Sauce has reduced and thickened to desired consistency.
RETURN
Return the chicken (1800 g) and bacon (8 slices) to the pot and heat through.
Sauce separation: Do not boil the sauce vigorously once the chicken is returned, or the emulsified fat may break and separate.
Chicken and bacon are heated through in the sauce.
SERVE
Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley (optional).
Sauce separation: Avoid overheating the sauce once plated, as it can cause the fats to break and pool.
Dish is served hot.
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