Classic Coq au Vin
Chicken braised low and slow in an entire bottle of Burgundy with smoky lardons, glazed pearl onions, and earthy mushrooms. The French countryside on a plate. Like beef bourguignon's equally brilliant sibling — and arguably easier to make.
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Coq au vin translates literally to "rooster in wine" — traditionally made with an old tough bird that needed long braising to tenderize. Modern versions use a regular chicken, cut into pieces, which braises beautifully in about 90 minutes. The technique is almost identical to beef bourguignon: deep browning, wine-based braise, separately cooked garnish added at the end to preserve texture.
The key that separates great coq au vin from merely good: brown the chicken deeply and in batches. Each piece should have a dark, mahogany crust before braising. That crust dissolves into the wine during braising and is what gives the sauce its body, color, and depth. Don't rush this step.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (about 1.8 kg), cut into 8 pieces — or 8 bone-in, skin-on thighs
- 150g (5 oz) thick-cut bacon or lardons
- 1 bottle (750ml) Burgundy or good Pinot Noir
- 360ml (1½ cups) chicken stock
- 250g (9 oz) pearl onions, peeled (frozen works)
- 250g (9 oz) cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley stems)
- 2 tbsp flour
- 4 tbsp butter, divided
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Marinate (optional but ideal). Combine chicken pieces, wine, and bouquet garni in a bowl. Refrigerate overnight. Drain, pat chicken dry, and reserve the wine.
- Preheat oven to 165°C (325°F).
- Render the bacon. In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove and set aside, leaving fat in pot.
- Brown the chicken. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Brown in batches over high heat, 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply colored. Remove and set aside.
- Build the braise. Pour off excess fat, leaving 2 tbsp. Sauté garlic 1 minute, add tomato paste and cook 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over and stir. Add wine and stock, scraping up all the browned bits. Add bouquet garni.
- Braise. Return chicken and bacon to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise in the oven for 1 hour.
- Add garnish. Meanwhile, glaze pearl onions: cook in water with 1 tbsp butter and a pinch of sugar until water evaporates and onions are golden. Sauté mushrooms in butter until golden. After the 1-hour braise, add both to the pot and continue cooking 20 minutes.
- Finish. Remove chicken. Reduce sauce on the stovetop 5–10 minutes until glossy. Swirl in 1 tbsp cold butter. Return chicken, coat with sauce, and serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.
Chef's Pro Tips
- Bone-in, skin-on thighs are more forgiving than breast meat and stay juicier through the long braise.
- Like all braises, coq au vin is better the next day — make it Friday for Saturday dinner.
- Cognac flambé (optional): add 2 tbsp cognac to the pot after removing chicken from browning, carefully ignite with a long match, and shake until flames die. Adds a caramelized depth to the sauce.
- Leftover coq au vin makes extraordinary pasta sauce — shred the chicken and toss with pappardelle.