Coq au Vin
A simple French Coq Au Vin recipe with tender chicken braised in red wine and stock with lardons, mushrooms and onions.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 140 grams pancetta or lardons (cut into batons)
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 rib celery (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon Cognac (Bourbon will do in a pinch)
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 225 grams button mushrooms (trimmed and halved)
- 225 grams cipollini onions (or pearl , trimmed and peeled)
- flat-leaf parsley (chopped for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large chef's pan or dutch oven, fry the 140 grams pancetta lardons over medium heat until most of the fat has rendered out (but not until it's crisp). Transfer the lardons to a bowl with a slotted spoon.140 grams pancetta
- Generously salt and pepper the 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs and place in the hot pan, skin side down. Leave undisturbed for 6-7 minutes or until skin is golden brown, then flip the chicken over, allowing it to brown lightly on the second side. Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the lardons.8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- You should now have a nice thick coating of brown "fond". This is what gives the dish much of it's depth. Remove 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan and set it aside in a small bowl. Add the chopped 1 large onion, 1 rib celery and 4 cloves garlic and sauté until soft, scrapping the fond off the bottom of the pan so it doesn't burn.1 large onion, 1 rib celery, 4 cloves garlic
- Hit the pan with a splash of 1 tablespoon Cognac to deglaze the pan. Allow most of the liquid to evaporate, then add the 2 cups dry red wine, 2 cups low sodium chicken stock, 1 bay leaf, 6 sprigs fresh thyme, and 3 tablespoons tomato paste. Return the lardons and chicken to the pan and turn several times to make sure each piece is well coated and submerged in the liquid. Cover with the lid slightly askew (so steam can escape) and simmer over medium low heat until the chicken is tender 35-45 minutes.1 tablespoon Cognac, 2 cups dry red wine, 2 cups low sodium chicken stock, 1 bay leaf, 6 sprigs fresh thyme, 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- Add the 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour to the fat you've reserved and stir until there are no lumps. When the chicken is tender, transfer to a plate and tent with foil. Add the 225 grams button mushrooms and 225 grams cipollini onions to the pan and turn up the heat to medium, simmering uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the onions are cooked and the sauce has reduced a bit. Add a few tablespoons of sauce to the fat/flour mixture and stir to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the sauce in the pan one spoonful at a time, mixing well after each addition to make sure there are no lumps. I don't like my sauce too thick, so I stopped about ⅔ of the way through, but if you like a very thick sauce, you can add all the roux. Salt and pepper to taste, then return the chicken to to pot to reheat and coat with the sauce.2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 225 grams button mushrooms, 225 grams cipollini onions
- Garnish with the flat-leaf parsley, and then serve the coq au vin over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or as a stew with a crusty baguette. I also like to sprinkle a little finishing salt like Fleur de Sel on top.flat-leaf parsley