For my recipe, I use chicken thighs instead of a whole broken down chicken. I use thighs, because, well, I just prefer thighs. I also use equal parts of red wine and chicken stock, and I do not marinate the chicken in the wine first. I find this helps avoid having that gray-purple color in the chicken. I add carrots and 2 teaspoons of tomato paste to mine for the benefit of my children. The extra tomato paste helps tone down the wine flavor a little for them and the carrots add a little more veg into the dish.
It’s a perfect Sunday supper, as are many rustic French dishes. Here is my recipe for Coq au Vin.
The Coq au Vin is now done. I recommend serving with egg noodles. Place a serving of egg noodles on a plate. Add one of the chicken thighs, and then add the wine sauce and vegetables over the chicken and noodles. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Ingredients
6-8 chicken thighs
2 slices of bacon, diced
1 large shallot, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
8 oz crimini mushrooms
1 cup frozen pearl onions
7-10 thyme sprigs
6-8 chicken thighs
2 slices of bacon, diced
1 large shallot, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
8 oz crimini mushrooms
1 cup frozen pearl onions
7-10 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt, plus more for chicken
½ tsp black pepper, plus more for chicken
2 tbsp flour
4 tbsp butter, room temperature, divided
Handful of parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt, plus more for chicken
½ tsp black pepper, plus more for chicken
2 tbsp flour
4 tbsp butter, room temperature, divided
Handful of parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. You can trim off any excessive skin or fat if necessary prior to seasoning.
Place a Dutch oven over medium heat and add a little olive oil followed by the bacon. Cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and the bacon pieces become crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the Dutch oven using a slotted spoon, making sure the bacon fat remains in the Dutch oven. Reserve the bacon pieces in a bowl.
Now brown the chicken in batches. Place each batch of chicken thighs skin side down in the Dutch oven and allow it to braise for about 5 minutes, until the skin browns nicely. Flip the thighs and braise again for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the reverse side browns. Reserve the chicken thighs on a plate. Repeat this for each batch until all of the chicken is braised.
At this point, you should have an ample amount of fat in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the onions and carrots, and sauté them until the onions are soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and stir it into the vegetables.
Add the chicken stock, and use a spatula to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir to blend. Add the red wine, bay leaves, thyme, 1 tsp of salt, and ½ tsp of black pepper. Stir to combine. Allow the stew to come to a low boil (rolling simmer), place the lid on the Dutch oven, and place it in the oven. Allow the stew to bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
While the stew is in the oven, add 2 tbsp of the softened butter to a bowl. Add in the flour. Mash the flour into the butter using a fork until the flour is well blended into the butter, forming a sort of paste. Set this roux aside for now.
When the stew is near done, with about 7-10 minutes left in the oven, place a pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter. Once the butter is melted, add the Pearl onions and the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the onions and mushrooms until the mushrooms soft and have released their juices, about 3-5 minutes. At this time the onions should have also softened. It is not necessary to brown the Pearl onions. Once they have fully softened, remove from the heat and set aside.
When the stew is done, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and return to a burner over low heat. Carefully remove the thyme sprigs from the stew and discard them. Remove the chicken thighs and reserve on a plate or bowl. Add the roux and stir to combine it with the stew. Once the roux has fully combined into the stew, add the mushrooms and Pearl onions. Stir to combine. Allow the stew to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, until it has thickened. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes more to rewarm the chicken.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. You can trim off any excessive skin or fat if necessary prior to seasoning.
Place a Dutch oven over medium heat and add a little olive oil followed by the bacon. Cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and the bacon pieces become crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the Dutch oven using a slotted spoon, making sure the bacon fat remains in the Dutch oven. Reserve the bacon pieces in a bowl.
Now brown the chicken in batches. Place each batch of chicken thighs skin side down in the Dutch oven and allow it to braise for about 5 minutes, until the skin browns nicely. Flip the thighs and braise again for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the reverse side browns. Reserve the chicken thighs on a plate. Repeat this for each batch until all of the chicken is braised.
At this point, you should have an ample amount of fat in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the onions and carrots, and sauté them until the onions are soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and stir it into the vegetables.
Add the chicken stock, and use a spatula to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir to blend. Add the red wine, bay leaves, thyme, 1 tsp of salt, and ½ tsp of black pepper. Stir to combine. Allow the stew to come to a low boil (rolling simmer), place the lid on the Dutch oven, and place it in the oven. Allow the stew to bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
While the stew is in the oven, add 2 tbsp of the softened butter to a bowl. Add in the flour. Mash the flour into the butter using a fork until the flour is well blended into the butter, forming a sort of paste. Set this roux aside for now.
When the stew is near done, with about 7-10 minutes left in the oven, place a pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter. Once the butter is melted, add the Pearl onions and the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the onions and mushrooms until the mushrooms soft and have released their juices, about 3-5 minutes. At this time the onions should have also softened. It is not necessary to brown the Pearl onions. Once they have fully softened, remove from the heat and set aside.
When the stew is done, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and return to a burner over low heat. Carefully remove the thyme sprigs from the stew and discard them. Remove the chicken thighs and reserve on a plate or bowl. Add the roux and stir to combine it with the stew. Once the roux has fully combined into the stew, add the mushrooms and Pearl onions. Stir to combine. Allow the stew to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, until it has thickened. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes more to rewarm the chicken.
The Coq au Vin is now done. I recommend serving with egg noodles. Place a serving of egg noodles on a plate. Add one of the chicken thighs, and then add the wine sauce and vegetables over the chicken and noodles. Garnish with chopped parsley.