Coq au Vin

Name: Coq au Vin
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 1⅔ kg (3½ lb) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, about 10 pieces; 14 g (2⅓ tsp) fine sea salt, divided; freshly ground black pepper; 150 g (5 oz) smoked bacon lardons, or thick bacon in 1 cm strips; 1 tbsp neutral oil; 2 carrots, in chunks; 1 onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 750 ml (3 cups) dry red wine, one bottle, Pinot Noir or other medium-bodied red; 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock, Chicken Stock or store-bought; 4 sprigs thyme; 2 bay leaves; 30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter; 250 g (9 oz) small pearl onions or shallots, peeled; 250 g (9 oz) button or chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered; 1 pinch sugar; 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Chicken braised slowly in red wine with bacon, mushrooms and little onions

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 1 h
Total: 2 h 30 min
Level: Some skill

The Burgundian farmhouse braise: chicken browned in bacon fat, then simmered in red wine until the sauce turns dark, glossy and deeply savory, finished with mushrooms and small onions browned separately. Made with thighs and drumsticks instead of an old rooster, it's tender in an hour and better the next day.

Ingredients

Chicken

1⅔ kgbone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (3½ lb)about 10 pieces
14 gfine sea salt (2⅓ tsp)divided
freshly ground black pepper
150 gsmoked bacon lardons (5 oz)or thick bacon in 1 cm strips
1 tbspneutral oil
2carrotsin chunks
1onionchopped
3 clovesgarliccrushed
2 tbspall-purpose flour
1 tbsptomato paste
750 mldry red wine (3 cups)one bottle, Pinot Noir or other medium-bodied red
250 mlchicken stock (1 cup)Chicken Stock or store-bought
4 sprigsthyme
2bay leaves

Garnish

30 gunsalted butter (2 tbsp)
250 gsmall pearl onions or shallots (9 oz)peeled
250 gbutton or chestnut mushrooms (9 oz)halved or quartered
1 pinchsugar
2 tbspchopped parsley

Allergens: gluten, milk, sulphites, celery
Origin: France (Burgundy)
Season: Autumn, Winter

Method

Season the chicken all over with 10 g of the salt and some pepper. If you have time, do this the night before.
In a heavy 5–6 L casserole over medium heat, cook the bacon in the oil until crisp and its fat has rendered, 6–8 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon. 7 min
Raise the heat to medium-high. Brown the chicken in batches, skin side down first, until the skin is deep golden, 5–6 minutes, then briefly on the other side. Set aside with the bacon. 15 min
Pour off all but 2 tbsp fat. Cook the carrots and onion over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic, then the flour and tomato paste, stirring for 1 minute. 8 min
Pour in the wine, scraping the bottom. Boil 5 minutes to drive off some of the alcohol and its raw edge (some always remains). Add the stock, thyme, bay and the remaining 4 g salt. Return the chicken (skin up) and bacon. 5 min
Bring to a simmer, cover partly and cook at a gentle simmer until the meat is very tender and pulls easily from the bone, 50–60 minutes. It will be well above the 74°C (165°F) safety point — for braised legs you want 85–90°C (185–195°F), where the collagen has melted. 55 min
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and brown the onions with the sugar, shaking often, until golden all over, 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned and their liquid has evaporated, 6–8 minutes more. 15 min
Lift the chicken onto a dish. Skim the fat from the sauce, remove the herbs and boil the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon, 5–10 minutes. Taste for salt. 8 min
Return the chicken, add the onions and mushrooms and warm through for 3 minutes. Scatter with parsley and serve with boiled potatoes, noodles or bread. 3 min

Why it works

Browning the chicken and bacon builds the savory base, and the flour cooked in fat thickens the sauce as it simmers. Boiling the wine before the long braise drives off much of the harsh-tasting alcohol so the sauce tastes of fruit, not booze. Legs are full of connective tissue that dissolves into gelatin with slow cooking, enriching the sauce and leaving the meat meltingly soft. The garnish is browned separately so it stays firm and flavorful.

Common mistakes

Using a cheap, harsh or oaky wine: it concentrates. Choose something you'd drink.
Rushing the browning; pale chicken makes a pale sauce.
Using breast meat, which goes dry and stringy in a long braise.

Variations

Coq au Riesling: Use dry Riesling instead of red wine, skip the tomato paste and finish with 100 ml crème fraîche.
Overnight marinade: Marinate the chicken in the wine with the vegetables and herbs overnight for a deeper color and flavor; pat dry before browning.

Make ahead and storage

Cool and refrigerate up to 3 days; the flavor improves. Lift off the solidified fat before reheating gently. Freezes for 3 months.

Notes

Ask for a genuine Burgundy (Pinot Noir) if you want tradition, but any dry, fruity red works.