Coq au Vin (French Red Wine Braised Chicken)
Coq au vin — a French home-style dish whose name means "rooster in wine"! Bacon, shallots, and chicken are seared in turn, then braised low and slow in red wine, chicken stock, and herbs, and finished with sauteed mushrooms — a cozy wine-braised chicken perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
Main
- Chicken (cut up)3/4 pack
- Bacon2-3 strips
- Shallots4
- Garlic1 clove
- Button mushrooms85 g
- Red wine200 ml
- Chicken stock150 ml
- Tomato puree1 tbsp
- Olive oil1/2 tbsp
Herbs & Roux
- Thyme1 sprig
- Rosemary3/4 sprig
- Bay leaf1
- Parsley1/2 handful (garnish)
- Flour1 tbsp
- Olive oil (for roux)3/4 tsp
- Butter1/2 tsp
Directions
- 1
Cut the bacon into strips, fry in a pan, then set aside on a plate.
- 2
In the same pan, add the peeled shallots and saute for 5-8 minutes, then move them to the plate with the bacon.
- 3
In the same pan, add the chicken and sear for 5-8 minutes until browned, then set aside.
- 4
Add minced garlic to the pan and saute, then return the seared chicken.
- 5
Pour in the red wine a little at a time.
- 6
Add the chicken stock, tomato puree, and herbs (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf — dried herbs work too), and season with salt and pepper.
- 7
Add the seared bacon and shallots back in, cover, and simmer over low heat for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
- 8
When the chicken is nearly done, saute the quartered button mushrooms in a little olive oil until chestnut-brown.
- 9
(Optional) If the sauce is thin, stir in a roux of flour, olive oil, and butter a little at a time and simmer 1-2 minutes to thicken.
- 10
Plate the chicken, top with the sauteed mushrooms and sauce, and garnish with parsley to finish.
Tips
Searing the bacon, shallots, and chicken one after another in the same pan layers up the flavor. Dried herbs work fine if you don't have fresh, and if the sauce is thin, thicken it with a flour-and-butter roux.