France | Poultry | Chicken | Wine | Winter | Braising

Coq au Vin

(French chicken braised in wine)

Yield: 4-5 servings


INGREDIENTS PREP AMOUNT
Chicken cut into serving pieces 3 lbs
Flour 1/3 cup
Salt & pepper to season
 
Butter 2 Tbsp
Oil 1 Tbsp
Bacon or salt pork rinsed, chopped 2 pieces
Pearl onions peeled (see notes) 2 cups
Mushrooms chopped 2 cups
 
Cognac or brandy (opt.) 1/4 cup
Red Wine 3 cups
Garlic crushed 3 cloves
Sugar   2 tsp
Bay leaf   1 each
Thyme, fresh or dried crushed 1 Tbsp or 1 tsp
Rosemary   1 small sprig
Parsley minced 1 Tbsp
Nutmeg (opt.)   pinch
Salt & pepper   to taste
     
Butter   2 Tbsp

METHOD

Basic Steps:  Brown → Sauté → Simmer → Reduce → Finish with Butter
  1. Dry the chicken pieces off with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour and shake off the excess.
  2. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the butter and oil over medium flame. Add the bacon and sauté till cooked through. Add the onions and cook till lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and cook down about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove all to a bowl and reserve.
  3. Add a little more oil to the pot and brown the chicken pieces on all sides, one small batch at a time.
  4. Add all chicken back to the pot. Pour in the cognac or brandy and cook down (flame it off if you like). Add the red wine, garlic, sugar, herbs, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on low heat 1 hour.
  5. Stir in the bacon-onion-mushroom mixture and simmer 30 minutes more. Skim off excess fat.
  6. Remove all the ingredients from the sauce to a large serving bowl. If needed, turn the heat to medium-high and reduce the sauce down some. Remove sauce from heat and stir in the final 2 Tbsp of butter. Season to taste.
  7. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

VARIATIONS

  • Coq au Vin Blanc: Use white wine. A Riesling would be nice.

NOTES

  • A classic winter dish. Use a Burgundy, Beaujolais, or any young full-bodied red wine.
  • To peel pearl onions, blanch them for 1-2 minutes in boiling water. Drain and rinse with cold water. The peels should come right off.
  • Goes well with boiled, parslied potatoes.