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–+ servings

Coq Au Vin

Coq 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.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Category Savory

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
  • 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; click here for my Homemade Beef Stock recipe)
  • 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 oil
    1 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 salt
    ½ 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 salt
    ½ 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 wine
    1 ½ cups low-sodium beef stock
    2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
    4 sprigs of fresh thyme, whole
    1 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" sliced
    2 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, softened
    2 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

  1. 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 1081kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 69g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 319mg | Sodium: 1625mg | Potassium: 1448mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1023IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition Disclaimer