Chefs Binge · French · Serves 4 servings

Coq au Vin: Classic French Chicken in Red Wine

Chicken legs braised slowly in a whole bottle of red wine with lardons, mushrooms and little onions, until the meat falls from the bone and the sauce turns deep and glossy. Rustic French cooking, better the next day.

Prep

30 min

Cook

1 hr 30 min

Total

6 hrs

Serves

4 servings

Per serving

707 kcal

Ingredients

4 Chicken legs - separated into thighs and drumsticks

750 ml Red Wine - preferably Burgundy or a similar full-bodied wine

200 g Pearl Onions - peeled

100 g Lardons - or thick-cut bacon, diced

3 Sprigs of fresh Thyme

2 Bay Leaves

4 Garlic Cloves - minced

2 Shallots - finely chopped

100 g Button Mushrooms - quartered

2 tbsp Brandy - (optional)

2 tbsp Unsalted Butter

2 tbsp Plain flour

Salt - to taste

Black Pepper - to taste

Fresh Parsley - for garnish

Method

Marinate the Chicken. In a large bowl, combine the chicken pieces, red wine, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well, ensuring the chicken is well-coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Prepare the Lardons. In a large frying pan or Dutch oven, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the lardons or bacon and cook until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Brown the Chicken. In the same frying pan, add the remaining butter. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the wine and herbs. Pat the chicken dry and brown on all sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Sauté the Vegetables. Add the chopped shallots to the frying pan and sauté until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and become golden.

Flambé with Brandy (Optional). If using, pour the brandy over the vegetables and carefully ignite with a long lighter. Allow the flames to subside.

Add Flour. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Deglaze. Pour in the reserved wine from the marinade, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Allow the wine to simmer and reduce by a third.

Add the Chicken and Lardons. Return the browned chicken pieces and crispy lardons to the frying pan. Add the pearl onions, thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the chicken simmer in the wine for about 1-1.5 hours, or until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.

Bake. After combining the chicken, lardons, pearl onions, thyme, and bay leaves in the Dutch oven, cover with the lid and bake in a preheated oven at 325°F (165°C) for 1-1.5 hours until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened, checking occasionally and adding broth or water if needed.

Serve. Once cooked, remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the Coq au Vin hot, sprinkled with fresh parsley. Pair with crusty French bread or potatoes and enjoy this classic French dish! I prepared potato pancakes to go with it :)

Chef’s notes

Use a wine you would drink. A dry, full-bodied red, a red Burgundy is classic, and it does not need to be expensive but it does need to be one you like, because the long reduction concentrates everything. Avoid bottles labelled "cooking wine", which are salted and flat.

This is a pure-wine braise. There is no stock, which gives a deeper, more assertive sauce. If you prefer it gentler, hold back a splash of the wine and make it up with a little chicken stock.

Choose one braise method, not both. Finish it on the hob or in the oven, whichever suits, for the same one to one and a half hours. The two steps are alternatives, not a sequence.

Skim the fat and thicken if needed. Spoon off any fat that gathers on top before serving. If the sauce is thin, simmer it uncovered to reduce, or stir in a little butter-and-flour paste.

Per serving Calories 707 kcal · Protein 42.6 g · Carbs 17.8 g · Fat 51.1 g · Saturates 16.6 g · Fibre 2.1 g · Sugar 5 g · Sodium 1017 mg

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