This classic coq au vin recipe is what it says. It’s classic. And everyone needs to know how to make it!
I woke up to the most beautiful sight of snow gently covering the ground. “Have you looked outside?”I asked my kids and immediately the hilarity ensued.
Truth is there was barely enough snow to last us a short snow ball fight but still I was feeling just as giddy as my little ones. After all, snow in London doesn’t happen very often.
The sight of snow and a definite chill in the air made me want to spend the day smelling the incredible aroma of Coq au vin simmering away in my oven.
I thought it would ease the pain of writing an impossibly long and complex paper for my course. I first posted this recipe two years ago but I knew I needed to take better photos to do this wonderful comfort food justice.
Just because I like to cook it doesn’t mean I don’t love shortcuts in the kitchen. Serving delicious food to my family and friends doesn’t always equal hours spent behind the hot stove.
I am usually on the lookout for the recipes that are tasty yet simple. This Coq Au Vin (French for “Chicken in Wine”) is one of those dishes that is good enough to serve for a fancy dinner yet doesn’t require much hands-on time.
It could be cooked a few hours in advance and then reheated quickly right before dinner. This way you can relax and make yourself look pretty and avoid greeting your guests all red and sweaty.
French cuisine is so impressive for its ability to be sophisticated and deeply satisfying and comforting at the same time. Just look at that spread. Who wouldn’t want to sit down to a bowl of flavourful chicken cooked in wine with some crusty bread!
The rich taste in this wonderful dish comes from the quality ingredients and a few spices artfully put together. No chef skills required. Have no fear, it’s impossible not to ace it!
I have made Coq Au Vin numerous times. It doesn’t get old and it’s always a crowd pleaser.
What wine to use in coq au vin?
You can guess from the name that wine is one of the main ingredients, and of course chicken. I am sure you have heard it before but I will say it again- only use the wine that is good enough to drink.
I have tried this dish with a bottle of homemade wine and it tasted good or so I thought. Good but not memorable enough to make it my “dinner special”.
It took me a few years before I came back to this recipe but I tried cooking with a decent bottle of wine.
That time I saw the magic of Coq Au Vin, the quality that stood the test of time and kept this dish on people’s tables for generations.
My favourite wines to use in the coq au vin are Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot.
How to make Classic Coq au Vin
Preheat oven to 120C/250F.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven. (If you have a cast iron pot it’s perfect for it.) Fry your bacon lardons for 8-10 minutes until browned and remove them to a plate lined with paper towel.
Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them in the same pot in batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove to the same plate as bacon. You are not cooking your chicken all the way through, just browning on both sides.
Slice your onions and carrots in medium sized chunks and add them to the pot with salt and pepper, cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer stirring the whole time not allowing it to burn.
Add your brandy and scrape all the burned bits to incorporate them into your sauce, now add bacon and chicken with all the juices they collected, pour in your wine, chicken stock and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, cover with a lid and put it in the oven for 40 minutes.
When chicken is no longer pink mix melted butter with flour and stir in the sauce.
Slice mushrooms thickly and add to the pot, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Put back in the oven with the lid off for 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Serve Coq Au Vin with mashed potatoes and crusty French bread and of course, a glass of nice French wine. Bon Appetit!
I really hope you give my Coq au Vin a try and when you do SHARE your photos with me on Instagram! Just tag @vikalinka and I will see them!
- Olive Oil- 1 tbsp.
- Pancetta or Bacon lardons cubed- 120 gr/4 oz.
- Chicken thighs and legs- 8-10 pieces
- Onion- 1 large
- Carrots- 2 medium
- Garlic chopped- 1-2 cloves
- Brandy or Whisky- 1/4 cup
- Red Wine your choice-1/2 bottle
- Chicken Stock- 1 cup
- Thyme- 8-10 springs
- Butter- 1 tbsp.
- Flour- 1 1/2 tbsp for thickening could substitute for corn starch for gluten-free version
- Mushrooms- 250 gr/ 1/2 pound
- Salt and Pepper to taste
-
Preheat oven to 120C/250F.
-
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven. (If you have a cast iron pot it's perfect for it.) Fry your bacon lardons for 8-10 minutes until browned and remove them to a plate lined with paper towel.
-
Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them in the same pot in batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove to the same plate as bacon. You are not cooking your chicken all the way through, just browning on both sides.
-
Slice your onions and carrots in medium sized chunks and add them to the pot with salt and pepper, cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer stirring the whole time not allowing it to burn. Add your brandy and scrape all the burned bits to incorporate them into your sauce, now add bacon and chicken with all the juices they collected, pour in your wine, chicken stock and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid and put it in the oven for 55 minutes.
-
When chicken is no longer pink mix melted butter with flour and stir in the sauce. Slice mushrooms thickly and add to the pot, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Put back in the oven with the lid off for 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Note: The recipe is adapted from Ina Garten’s Coq Au Vin.
Made this on stove top instead of oven and it worked a treat. Clear instructions and a wonderful outcome. Great little recipe 😊😊😊😊😊
Thank you so much for your feedback, Roni. I am so happy to hear it worked well for you even on the stove top!
Such a great recipe. I’ve cooked this about 3 times, and again tonight. After a taste test before putting in oven, the wine seemed to overshadow everything else, so I added more Chicken stock. Don’t know why that happened, unless I forgot that the wine evaporates. Hopefully I didn’t add too much.
So happy to hear that you’ve cooked this Coq au Vin several times already, Leslie! Yes, wine evaporates and really needs time to reduce in order to produce that deliciously rich sauce. The great thing about this recipe is it’s hard to mess up! I am sure yours turned out great!
This recipe looks delicious! I’d like to try making it tonight. I was hoping to make a big batch and freeze it. Do you think this recipe will freeze well? I’m worried about the sauce separating.
This recipe freezes beautifully, Loredana. The sauce doesn’t separate as there is no cream in it. Have no fear! 🙂