Coq au vin
I remember the first time I had Coq au Vin. My parents made it for people they were having over for dinner and the whole house smelled amazing. It tasted even better. While it’s a humble chicken stew from rural France, it can also be the perfect dish to make on a cold evening for yourself, or for others.
Fast forward, throughout the years I have enjoyed this at restaurants around the world and made it many times, trying different recipes and methods. This rendition takes the best bits across Julia Child, to Ina Garten and my pal Addison Hill. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: Fully make the stew and let it sit on your stove in the Dutch Oven the day you’re serving it. Reheat when it’s time to serve.
Coq au vin
Serves 4-6
What you need
3-4 oz bacon lardons (alt. diced pancetta works, but it’s a lot saltier so watch out)
2 TBS unsalted butter
8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (trust!)
1 medium white onion (peeled and sliced)
6-7 carrots, (3 cut into smallish chunks, 3-4 cut on the diagonal in 1/2-1-inch pieces)
3-4 garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)
2-3 TBS tomato paste
1/4 cup cognac, brandy or sherry
3/4 bottle of dry red white you’d actually drink (e.g., Cote du Rhone, Beaujolais)
2 cups chicken stock (alt: Better than Boullion)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 TBS flour
2 TBS softened butter
24 pearl onions (peeled if fresh, thawed if frozen)
8-10 oz mushrooms (de-stemmed and sliced)
Olive oil
Kosher salt, black pepper (fresh or course ground)
How to make it
Season the pot: Melt 2 TBS butter in a Dutch Oven and sauté the lardons until browned throughout. Remove the lardons from pot and place on a paper towel-lined plate.
Brown the chicken: Pat your chicken dry with a paper towel, and season both sides with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the Dutch Oven with the bacon fat and brown on both sides — do this in batches if needed to avoid over-crowding, don’t worry about fully cooking, that will come later. Remove chicken from the pan as it’s ready and place on a plate.
Cook the vegetables: Leaving the fat and juices in the pan, add your carrots and leeks, season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 4 minutes until softened. Then, add in the tomato paste and garlic, and cook until it turns a brick red color (2-3 minutes). Finally, add your cognac to deglaze the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Simmer: Add the chicken and lardons back to the pot with the vegetables, along with the fresh herbs, wine and stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, or until your chicken is fall-apart tender to the touch.
Cook your other veggies: While the sauce is simmering, in a separate skillet, heat some olive oil and saute the sliced mushrooms until browned - wait to season until after they have released their liquid - remove to a plate.
Strain and thicken: Once the chicken is tender, remove it from the pot back to the plate you used earlier, then strain your sauce. Blend your flour and softened butter together with a fork in a small bowl until it’s fully combined (if easier, use your hands to do this, it will resemble dough). Put the strained sauce back in your Dutch Oven and whisk in the blended flour/butter mixture. Bring to a boil and let the sauce thicken, season to taste.
Mix it all together: Now, add your chicken, sautéed mushrooms, carrots and pearl onions to the sauce in the Dutch Oven and bring to a light boil to rewarm. If eating later, turn the heat off and let this sit covered until you’re ready - if eating immediately, just cook until it’s all warmed up.
Serve it up: This can be served with slices of thick, toasted bread or on a bed of smooth mashed potatoes. I like to pair with a tangy green salad served before or on the side.
