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Coq au Vin Recipe

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4 from 81 reviews

Coq au Vin is a classic French stew featuring tender chicken slowly braised in rich red wine with aromatic vegetables, pearl onions, and mushrooms. This comforting dish is perfect for a cozy dinner, offering deep flavors and a velvety sauce made from a blend of butter, flour, and tomato paste.

Ingredients

Chicken and Seasoning

  • 12 pieces of chicken bone-in and skin-on (thighs, legs, and breasts)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup flour

Fats for Cooking

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 Tbsp butter (for mushrooms)
  • 3-4 Tbsp butter and flour mixed together (for thickening)

Liquids and Flavorings

  • 750 ml bottle of red wine, preferably French Pinot Noir
  • 900 ml chicken broth (enough to just about cover the chicken and vegetables)
  • 5.5 oz can tomato paste

Vegetables and Herbs

  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 2 stalks celery, quartered
  • 2 medium carrots, washed (not peeled), quartered
  • 5 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 6 sprigs thyme, tied with kitchen twine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 24 pearl onions
  • 8 oz button mushrooms, quartered

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Chicken: Season the chicken pieces generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Dredge them lightly in flour, shaking off any excess.
  2. Brown the Chicken: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces in batches, skin side down first, and brown them evenly on all sides. Remove the browned chicken and set aside.
  3. Deglaze and Build Flavor: Pour the bottle of red wine into the pot to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken broth, tomato paste, quartered onion, celery, carrots, crushed garlic, thyme sprigs tied with kitchen twine, and bay leaves. Stir well to combine.
  4. Simmer the Chicken: Return the browned chicken pieces to the pot, making sure they are mostly submerged in the liquid. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and let it cook gently for about 1 to 1.5 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
  5. Prepare the Vegetables: While the chicken simmers, blanch the pearl onions in boiling water for a few minutes, then peel them. In a skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté the pearl onions and quartered mushrooms until golden and tender. Set aside.
  6. Thicken the Sauce: After the chicken has cooked, remove the chicken pieces and vegetables with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Discard the thyme bundles and bay leaves. Mix 3-4 tablespoons of butter and flour together to form a paste (beurre manié), then whisk this into the simmering sauce to thicken it. Cook the sauce for a few minutes until it reaches a velvety consistency.
  7. Combine and Serve: Return the chicken, pearl onions, and mushrooms to the pot and gently coat them with the thickened sauce. Heat through briefly and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot, ideally with crusty bread or over buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.

Notes

  • The wine should be a good quality Pinot Noir for the best flavor, but any dry red wine will work.
  • Using skin-on, bone-in chicken gives more flavor to the dish.
  • Peeling pearl onions can be made easier by blanching them quickly in boiling water first.
  • Make sure not to rush the simmering process; low and slow cooking produces tender chicken and a richer sauce.
  • For a gluten-free version, substitute the flour with a gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch slurry.

Find it online: https://justsosavory.com/coq-au-vin-recipe/