Coq Au Vin
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Chicken braised in wine, bacon, onions, and mushrooms, this Coq Au Vin recipe is truly a feast for the palate! This classic French dish takes on additional flavor in our version that will have your taste buds singing!
What is Coq Au Vin?
Coq Au Vin is among the most popular of all French dishes. It features braised chicken cooked with wine, lardons (bacon), mushrooms and onions. Its preparation is similar to Beef Bourguignon. Coq Au Vin achieved its popularity here in the U.S. with Julia Child’s inclusion of it in her 1961 classic, Mastering The Art of French Cooking.
The ingredients are relatively simple as is the cooking process, but the result is simply one of the most delicious chicken dishes in the world!
Where Did Coq Au Vin Originate?
Various legends exist as to the origin of Coq Au Vin, some of which trace it back to Julius Caesar’s encounter with the Gauls who populated what is now France. Though the origin is uncertain, what is certain is that it’s at least 400 years old. Coq Au Vin, French for “rooster with wine,” was a common peasant dish in former centuries. Rural families in France commonly kept chickens and a rooster. The rooster would be kept until it was too old to perform its duties, and would then be eaten. Old roosters, however, were tough and stringy, so the common preparation was to slow-simmer it in wine in order to tenderize the meat and make it more palatable. Coq Au Vin had thus become known as “poor man’s food.”
It wasn’t until the 20th century that this dish achieved popularity both in and outside of France, as well as among both rich and poor. Over the centuries it rose from its roots of poverty to achieve the rank of fine cuisine (though now no longer using old rooster ;)
I’m sharing my version of this classic recipe with you, adding even more flavor to this incredible dish while maintaining its authenticity.
What to Serve with Coq Au Vin
Choose a starch and a vegetable. Great choices include mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or steamed rice, either Basmati or wild rice. Another good option is some rustic, crusty bread for mopping up the sauce or some buttery brioche. I have even seen coq au vin served with crispy golden French fries that can be dipped into the gravy. For your veggie you can prepare some roasted root vegetables, roasted cauliflower, braised greens, green beans, or my personal preference, a leafy green salad with a simple vinagrette.
For dessert you simply cannot beat the simple but irresistibly delicious Pot de Crème!
Coq Au Vin Recipe
Step 1: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot and sear the chicken on both sides until nicely browned and then set aside.
Step 2: Add the bacon and cook until done and then add the shallots and cook for another 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms release their juices and are softened, another 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and then transfer to a plate.
Step 3: Heat the butter in the pot and whisk in the flour, continually whisking until it becomes a rich golden brown color. Whisk in the wine and chicken stock. Bring it to a boil for about 2 minutes and continue whisking to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomato paste, ground dried porcini mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf.
Step 4: Return the chicken to the pot and cover. Return it to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Return the bacon/onion/mushroom mixture to the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. See above for serving recommendations.
Enjoy!
For more delicious French dishes be sure to try our:
- Beef Bourguignon
- Braised Lamb Shanks
- French Lentil Soup
- Trout Almondine
- Socca
- Cheese Souffle
- Pork Rillettes
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Coq Au Vin
Ingredients
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 4 chicken thighs and 4 drumsticks , skin intact, sprinkled with salt and pepper
- 4 oz thick-sliced bacon , diced
- 4 medium shallots , halved (or one small yellow onion, quartered and then halved again, or equivalent pearl onions)
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 8 oz white button mushrooms , quartered
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups dry red wine (such as Burgundy, Pinot Noir or Zinfandel; do not use "cooking wine")
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 medium carrot , sliced
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon ground dried porcini mushrooms (this adds incredible depth of flavor, don't skip!)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot and sear the chicken on both sides until nicely browned and then set aside.
- Add the bacon and cook until done and then add the shallots and cook for another 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms release their juices and are softened, another 5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and then transfer to a plate.
- Heat the butter in the pot and whisk in the flour, continually whisking until it becomes a rich golden brown color. Whisk in the wine and chicken stock. Bring it to a boil for about 2 minutes and continue whisking to loosen the browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the carrots and stir in the tomato paste, ground dried porcini mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Return the chicken to the pot and cover. Return it to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Return the bacon/onion/mushroom mixture to the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or steamed rice and with a leafy green salad. See blog post for additional recommendations.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet January 31, 2013
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
I followed this recipe exactly and the flavor was WOW delicious! Honestly the best coq au vin I have ever had. Everyone loved it.
Fantastic, Nathan, I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it, thank you!
Do you use cognac in the recipe ever?
Hi Maria, I don’t but that’s just personal preference. If you’d like to add some I recommend using about 1/4 cup and adding it along with the wine (use 1/4 cup less of the wine).
OMG!!!! I made this last night for dinner for my family and my dad (he comes over every Saturday night). I told them we were having a classic french dinner and everyone LOVED it. My teenager was picky about the sauce but he said the chicken was amazing! It was so nice to have something I haven’t had since the last time I visited Paris (2005). Thank you for such wonderful recipes. I will absolutely make this again!!!
Wonderful, Fawn! I’m so happy it was a family hit, thank you so much for the feedback!
Hello,
What store/website do you recommend buying the dried ground porcini mushrooms from? Is there a certain brand that sells them that you like?
Thanks for your reply. : )
Hi Ladybird, there isn’t a particular brand I recommend, but I do recommend if at all possible getting porcini that are imported from either France or Italy. I’ve seen them in some grocery stores, most recently at Sprouts (I was happy to see that those were imported from France). You can also find them on Amazon.
Kim, I always smile when I see one of your recipes with dried porcini mushrooms. It’s a good thing I can get them via Amazon. Although I always appreciate your recipes, and sometimes they are similar to my own, I really appreciate your historic or relative personal comments. I am sure I will always appreciate the amount of effort you obviously put into all of them. I’ve said this before, I am amazed at how you manage to find the time. As usual, my sincere thanks and appreciation.
Larry
Larry, it’s so good to hear from you! As always, I really appreciate your kind words – thank you <3
Larry, plenty of porcini and chanterelles in the woods of upstate NY
This looks delicious. Would it be OK to thicken this with corn starch? My friend has Celiacs so I can’t use flour if she comes to supper with us.
Hi Marion, yes you can but wait until the very end to add it and let it simmer for a minute or two until thickened. I would still add the butter even if you’re not using the flour because butter makes everything better :) Happy cooking!
Have seen recipes for coq au vin many times but never made it due to not having on hand all the ingrediants. This time, put it on the list as we were going to grocery. Made it this afternoon and was it ever worth the trouble! This is just a great dish and will make it again. Thank you for this recipe.
Wonderful, Chuck, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
sorry i don’t understand your 4th step. You say heat the butter etc….but do you mean add the butter to the wine sauce already in the pot or throw out the wine sauce then create the roux etc?
Hi Lesley, so sorry for the confusion! I just cleaned up the steps in the directions. This is such a wonderful comfort dish – happy cooking!
After an hour baking, the overpowering bitterish wine flavour is not nice at all….
Hi, like beef bourguignon, coq au vin is very much a wine-heavy dish (the name means “rooster with wine”) so definitely choose a wine that you like. If you prefer a less bitter I recommend choosing a red wine that is lower in tannins.
MMMMMM!! We had this for dinner! So wonderful! I love the wine sauce! Its been a while since I made this ,so I tried to find my old recipe and couldn’t,So I searched the web and found this one.It is as close as I remember my old recipe being.One thing for sure you have to use chicken with the bones in it or it just isn’t as juicy! The bacon also adds to the flavors! My boy friend was so impressed! Of coarse he had seconds! But I went with new potatoes and butter,and parsley! I won’t loose this recipe. Im going to try the polenta Lasagna next! Thanks for the recipe Its as wonderful as I remember! I love to cook great meals for my family ! They really appreciate it! You can’t get this at a fast food place!
I’m thrilled to hear that, Patsy! Coq Au Vin is such a wonderful dish and I’ve tried to make it as true to its authentic roots as possible. I’m happy you chose to start with that one! And you’re right, bone-in chicken is a MUST. The new potatoes with butter and parsley sound marvelous. Thanks so much for your feedback and let us know what you think of the Polenta Lasagna and any others you try! Best, Kimberly
This is such a great French dish! Your recipe is beautiful and the French in me approves. Well done!
Thanks so much, Del, coming from you that is a compliment indeed!
no me gusta
What if I actually have an old rooster?
Haha! Now THAT I was not expecting! Well, Minna, if you have an old rooster you can use then your Coq Au Vin will TRULY be “authentic”! :)