Succulent chicken with cremini mushrooms braised in white wine and a splash of cream. I present to you Coq au Vin Blanc!
Serve this delicious chicken recipe with Herb and Garlic Mashed Potatoes for an unforgettable meal!
Country of Origin
If you are looking for a bit of comfort food with a touch of elegance, this French recipe for chicken, slowing braised in white wine, is for you.
When people think of French cuisine, images of perfectly and beautifully plated food immediately come to mine.
Well, this recipe is nothing like that. Fear not…it is simple and quick. It requires a very few ingredients you most likely have on hand.
This braised chicken recipe is one of the finest examples of French country cooking.
Far, far away from classically trained chefs. Just skilled home cooks creating rustic, beautiful and delicious food for their families.
How do you make coq au vin blanc?
To add to the simplicity of this chicken braised in white wine, there is also a convenience factor.
This dish is cooked in one pan and boasts tender succulent chicken thighs and legs swimming in creamy gravy like sauce. Did I also mention that there is bacon involved? Mmmm…
As I mentioned earlier, all you need is a handful of ingredients but how, you might wonder, it can possibly develop such deep and gratifying flavours?
My answer is simple and as old as the world. Wine and slow cooking.
What wine to use
You can use any dry white wine for this recipe. I’ve used Chardonnay but Sauvignon Blanc or dry Riesling will also work beautifully. I do not recommend using cooking wine.
The reason I recommend dry white wine is because sweetness in wine tends to concentrate when it’s cooked down. So if you start with sweet wine, you will end up with very sweet dish after 40 minutes of simmering.
You might be wondering what wine does to the chicken and how it enhances flavour. In other words…
What wine does to food?
Unless you abstain from alcohol for medical or religious reasons, I would encourage you to give cooking with wine a try.
The reason it works is because adding wine is like adding a concentrated flavour boost to your food.
Wine makers have worked long and hard to develop those flavours. All you have to do is to pour it in, sit back and let it simmer happily for 40 minutes.
Then reap the benefits and receive well deserved compliments from your loved ones.
If you are concerned about cooking with alcohol or feeding your children “winey” chicken, don’t be!
Alcohol will cook out of the dish in the process of simmering! There will be traces left but truly negligible amount to be considered unsafe.
All you will be left with is creamy sauce and scrumptious chicken as acid from the wine permeates it and makes it irresistibly tender.
If you are a red wine lover, try one of my favourite recipes here for Coq au Vin, which also happens to be dairy free.
How long does it take?
This recipe might be a bit more hands-on than you’d like to invest in for a regular weeknight dinner. It will take you approximately one hour to make.
However, do save this chicken recipe for a weekend because you will absolutely fall in love with the complex flavours and will cook it again and again!
Can I make it ahead and freeze it?
Yes you can!
Just make sure to add about ½ cup/125ml to 1 cup/250ml of chicken stock when reheating it as you are bound to lose some sauce in the process.
What can I serve with chicken braised in white wine?
For a full French inspired dinner, serve this coq au vin with mashed potatoes or sweet potato and rutabaga mash if you are feeling more adventurous and a salad on the side. This apple, walnut and blue cheese salad will do nicely.
Good quality baguette is also highly recommended.
Recipe originally published on 12/2014. Re-written and updated on 31/2019.
More French Chicken Recipe to Try:
*Recipe adapted from Nigel Slater
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4-5 strips of bacon/pancetta chopped
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 8 chicken pieces on the bone thighs and legs
- 250 g Cremini mushrooms whole or halved
- 500 ml/2/3 of a bottle of dry white wine such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc
- 250 ml/1 cup double/whipping cream
- salt & pepper to taste
- handful flat leaf chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook bacon or pancetta in a tablespoon of olive oil. Skip oil if bacon is too fatty. Remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Salt and pepper the chicken pieces and brown them in bacon fat over medium-high heat. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Cook chopped onion over low heat for 5-7 minutes, add garlic when the onion is tender and translucent and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove cooked onion and garlic to the same plate as chicken and bacon.
- Add mushrooms to the pan and brown them for 3-5 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Return chicken, onion, garlic and bacon to the pan, pour wine all over, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes.
- Add cream and simmer for 10 minutes longer.
- Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or rice and crusty bread to mop up all that amazing sauce.
