I love traditional French recipes like coq au vin. It is so deliciously comforting. I have to give credit here to my idol, Julia Child, for introducing me to this recipe and teaching me the traditional method of making the perfect coq au vin. Though I have researched, tested, and adapted this recipe over the years, many of its components are exactly as Julia taught on The French Chef in the early 1960s.
THE BEST WINE TO USE FOR TRADITIONAL COQ AU VIN
Choosing a good red wine is one of the most important things to consider when making coq au vin. I almost always go for the traditional and use a good Burgundy (from the Burgundy — or Bourgogne — region in France), such as a pinot noir.
MAKE IT AHEAD
Like most stews, coq au vin can very easily be made the day before. Some people even say that it actually tastes better cooked in advance! Just allow the stew to cool completely before chilling it, covered, in the fridge. To reheat, simply set it over a low heat.
Start by preparing the pearl onions. First, submerge the onions in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds. This will allow you to peel them much easier.
Then, in a saucepan, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of butter over moderate heat. Add in the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, shaking the pan every few minutes to rotate the onions until lightly browned.
Season the onions with ¼ teaspoon of salt (depending on how many you are using) and add in ½ cup beef stock. Cover and cook on low heat for about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Meanwhile, heat a large pan or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and the bacon. Cook the bacon for about 10 minutes, until it is crisp and the fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon pieces from the pan and set them aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
Dry off the chicken pieces with a paper towel (this will ensure they brown properly) and fry them in the bacon fat for about 3 minutes on each side, until browned on all sides. Depending on the size of your pan or Dutch oven, you may need to brown the chicken in two batches. Crowding the pan will cause the chicken to steam and will prevent browning.
Once the chicken is browned, turn the heat down to low and place all of the chicken back into the pan (if cooked in multiple batches). Season with ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
After five minutes, flip the chicken over and season with an additional ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. This step improves the texture of the chicken when cooked.
Flip the chicken over (so that it is skin side up) and turn up the heat up to medium. Add in the cognac. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Next, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Add in the cooked bacon, red wine, beef stock, minced garlic, fresh thyme, and bay leaf. Note that you may need to add in a bit more beef stock if the chicken is not at least ⅔ covered. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the liquid just comes to a simmer.
Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165℉.
In the meantime, sauté the mushrooms in 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, until they are nicely browned. Set aside.
Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and set it aside on a plate.
In a small bowl, prepare a beurre manié by mixing together 1 Tablespoon of softened butter and 2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour with a fork.
Remove any excess fat from the top of the sauce with a spoon. Turn the heat up to high, whisk in the beurre manié — until no lumps remain — then continue to simmer the cooking liquid for about 10 minutes, until it has thickened and reduced to about 2 to 3 cups.
Remove the thyme and bay leaf. Taste the sauce and add in any additional seasonings, as necessary. Note that if you want your sauce thicker without reducing it any further, you can add in a slurry of 2 teaspoons of cornstarch (or arrowroot starch) and 1 teaspoon of beef stock (or water).
Add the cooked chicken back into the sauce, along with the braised onions and sautéed mushrooms. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes before serving.
Coq Au VinCoq au vin is a quintessential French stew made of chicken, cooked in a red wine sauce, with braised onions and sautéd mushrooms. It is the perfect comfort food to cozy up with on a chilly day.
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Ingredients
For the Braised Onions
- 18–30 small white pearl onions, peeled
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- ½ cup low-sodium beef stock
For the Sautéed Mushrooms
- ½ lb cremini mushrooms, gently scrubbed and ¼" sliced
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
For the Coq au Vin
- 3 lbs chicken (I use a mix of thighs and legs)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 strips of bacon, cut into ½" pieces
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ cup cognac
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium beef stock (possibly more)
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, whole
- 1 bay leaf, whole
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (for topping; optional)
Instructions
Braising the Onions
- To easily peel pearl onions, submerge in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds.18–30 small white pearl onions, peeled
- In a saucepan, heat oil and butter over moderate heat. Add in onions and cook until lightly browned, turning occasionally (about 10 minutes).1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- Season onions with salt. Add in beef stock. Cover and cook, on low heat, for about 1 to 1 ½ hours.¼ tsp kosher salt½ cup low-sodium beef stock
Cooking the Chicken
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven over moderate heat.1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Add in bacon and cook until it is crisp and the fat has rendered in the pan (about 10 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon pieces and set them aside, while leaving the fat in the pan.3 strips of bacon, cut into ½" pieces
- With paper towels, pat chicken dry (Note: this will help the chicken to brown properly). In batches, fry chicken in bacon fat for about 3 minutes on each side.3 lbs chicken
- Reduce heat to low and set all chicken back in pan, skin side up. Season chicken with ¾ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of black pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.Flip chicken over to other side and season with another ¾ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper. Cover once more and cook for another 5 minutes.1 ½ tsp kosher salt½ tsp ground black pepper
- Flip chicken back over to first side (skin side up). Increase heat to medium. Add in cognac and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.¼ cup cognac
- Add in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.1 Tbsp tomato paste
- Add in cooked bacon, wine, beef stock, minced garlic, fresh thyme, and bay leaf. (Add in more beef stock, as needed, to cover ⅔ of the chicken). Bring the liquid to a simmer.2 cups red wine1 ½ cups low-sodium beef stock2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced4 sprigs of fresh thyme, whole1 bay leaf, whole
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook at a low simmer until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165℉ (about 25 to 30 minutes).
Sautéing the Mushrooms
- Meanwhile, in a separate large pan, heat butter over moderate heat. Sauté mushrooms until browned on both sides (about 10 to 15 minutes).½ lb cremini mushrooms, gently scrubbed and ¼" sliced2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Cooking the Sauce and Assembling the Dish
- Remove cooked chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.
- With a spoon, remove any excess fat from the top of the cooking liquid. Increase heat to high and bring liquid to a boil.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, prepare beurre manié by combining butter and flour with a fork.1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- Reduce heat to medium-high. Whisk beurre manié into the pan with the cooking liquid, ensuring no lumps remain. Simmer liquid until it has thickened and reduced to about 2 to 3 cups (about 10 minutes).
- Remove the thyme and bay leaf. Taste the sauce for seasonings.Note: To thicken sauce even more (without reducing it), combine 2 tsp of cornstarch (or arrowroot starch) with 1 tsp of beef stock (or water) into a slurry and add into sauce.
- Place cooked chicken back into pan with sauce mixture. Add in braised onions and sautéed mushrooms. Cook on low for 5 minutes.
- Top with freshly topped parsley, as desired. Serve immediately.¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Notes
- Make it ahead: Coq au vin can very easily be made the day before. Just allow the stew to cool completely before chilling it, covered, in the refrigerator. To reheat, simply set over low heat until warmed through.
