This literally translates to Cock with Wine. So good. It's another Julia Child recipe, but this one strays a little from the original. This updated version of the simple French chicken stew uses a robust brown chicken stock, mushrooms, onions, bacon, and red wine. Here's some helpful notes for anyone making this for the first time...
Lardons: Popular in French cuisine, these are strips of salty slab bacon that crisp when cooked, with just the right amount of meatiness. If you can’t find lardons, pick up slab or thickly sliced bacon and slice it into 1/4-inch matchsticks.
Chicken: You can use any assortment of bone-in chicken pieces for coq au vin. I like using thighs and drumsticks because they’re dark meat and more flavorful. If your chicken pieces have excess skin or fat that hangs off of them, trim it away before cooking.
Cognac or Armagnac: Both are French brandies and will work equally well in the dish. Cognac is a bit smoother, while Armagnac has a bit more punch to it.
Pickling Onions: To peel pickling onions easily, blanch them in a pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes, then plunge into an ice bath. The peels will slip right off. And if you’re not in the mood for that, buy frozen ones.
Red wine: This is a classic French dish from the Burgundy region, so I recommend using a red from the region. But more importantly, choose one you enjoy, as it’ll be noticeable in the finished dish. Whatever you do, don’t choose a sweet wine.
Ingredients
Method
Sear the lardons or bacon in the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
Add the chicken, being careful not to crowd the pieces. You may need to work in batches. Sear the chicken, turning occasionally, until nicely browned on all sides. (If working in batches, return all the chicken to the pot.)
Carefully pour the Cognac into the pot and wait until it becomes bubbling hot. If desired—and if you're brave—ignite the sauce with a match. Let it flame for a minute, gently tilting the pot by its handle and swirling the sauce to burn off the alcohol. To extinguish the flames, simply cover the pan with its lid.
Add the bay leaf and thyme to the pan, nestle the onions around the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer gently, turning the pieces once for about 10 minutes.
Uncover the pot, sprinkle the flour over everything, and turn the chicken and onions so the flour is absorbed by the sauce. Cover and cook, turning once or twice, for 3 to 4 minutes more.
Remove the pot from the heat and gradually stir in the wine and enough stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the lardons, garlic, and tomato paste, cover, and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes.
Test the chicken for doneness. (There should be no trace of pink, and the juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife.) Transfer the pieces to the plate when they're done.
If the onions aren't quite tender, continue cooking them in the sauce, then return the chicken to the pot, add the mushrooms, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
The sauce should be just thick enough to coat the chicken and vegetables lightly. (If the sauce is too thin, bring it to a boil and reduce it to the desired consistency. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with spoonfuls of stock.) Taste and correct the seasoning accordingly.
Serve immediately, garnished with thyme sprigs.
Coq au Vin
Serves: 5 People
Prepare Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 1 hr
Calories: -
Difficulty:
Moderate
This literally translates to Cock with Wine. So good. It's another Julia Child recipe, but this one strays a little from the original. This updated version of the simple French chicken stew uses a robust brown chicken stock, mushrooms, onions, bacon, and red wine. Here's some helpful notes for anyone making this for the first time...
Lardons: Popular in French cuisine, these are strips of salty slab bacon that crisp when cooked, with just the right amount of meatiness. If you can’t find lardons, pick up slab or thickly sliced bacon and slice it into 1/4-inch matchsticks.
Chicken: You can use any assortment of bone-in chicken pieces for coq au vin. I like using thighs and drumsticks because they’re dark meat and more flavorful. If your chicken pieces have excess skin or fat that hangs off of them, trim it away before cooking.
Cognac or Armagnac: Both are French brandies and will work equally well in the dish. Cognac is a bit smoother, while Armagnac has a bit more punch to it.
Pickling Onions: To peel pickling onions easily, blanch them in a pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes, then plunge into an ice bath. The peels will slip right off. And if you’re not in the mood for that, buy frozen ones.
Red wine: This is a classic French dish from the Burgundy region, so I recommend using a red from the region. But more importantly, choose one you enjoy, as it’ll be noticeable in the finished dish. Whatever you do, don’t choose a sweet wine.
Ingredients
Method
Sear the lardons or bacon in the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
Add the chicken, being careful not to crowd the pieces. You may need to work in batches. Sear the chicken, turning occasionally, until nicely browned on all sides. (If working in batches, return all the chicken to the pot.)
Carefully pour the Cognac into the pot and wait until it becomes bubbling hot. If desired—and if you're brave—ignite the sauce with a match. Let it flame for a minute, gently tilting the pot by its handle and swirling the sauce to burn off the alcohol. To extinguish the flames, simply cover the pan with its lid.
Add the bay leaf and thyme to the pan, nestle the onions around the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer gently, turning the pieces once for about 10 minutes.
Uncover the pot, sprinkle the flour over everything, and turn the chicken and onions so the flour is absorbed by the sauce. Cover and cook, turning once or twice, for 3 to 4 minutes more.
Remove the pot from the heat and gradually stir in the wine and enough stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the lardons, garlic, and tomato paste, cover, and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes.
Test the chicken for doneness. (There should be no trace of pink, and the juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife.) Transfer the pieces to the plate when they're done.
If the onions aren't quite tender, continue cooking them in the sauce, then return the chicken to the pot, add the mushrooms, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
The sauce should be just thick enough to coat the chicken and vegetables lightly. (If the sauce is too thin, bring it to a boil and reduce it to the desired consistency. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with spoonfuls of stock.) Taste and correct the seasoning accordingly.
