Make The Best Coq Au Vin With This Easy Method

Coq au vin is a delicious red wine braised chicken recipe similar to beef bourguignon. Hearty, filling, warming and easy to make!

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs chicken thighs

12 pearl onion, outer paper removed

5 garlic cloves, rough chopped

3 stems fresh thyme

2 bottle red wine (Chianti, Cabernet Sauvignon, Beaujolais, Burgundy)

1 c chicken stock

1 shot bourbon

5 strips bacon, cut into small dice

3 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp butter, unsalted

2 tbsp ap flour

16 oz mushrooms (button, cremini, shiitake), quartered

Tools needed:

Sharp knife

Cutting board

Enameled dutch oven

Measuring cup and spoons

Oven

Large mixing bowl

How to make it:

The method I use for getting flavorful chicken is to give it a dry brine for 8-12 hours.

Place chicken on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle liberally with kosher salt on both sides. I use around 1-1/2 to 2 tbsp salt for 3-4 lbs chicken. Place in the refrigerator uncovered overnight (8-12 hours).

The next day:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Place chicken into a large mixing bowl and pour the entire bottle of wine into the bowl covering the chicken. I normally marinate the chicken in the wine for 20-30 minutes. About the time it takes to prep the rest of the ingredients. Wine is acidic and I feel that the wine makes the meat on the chicken thighs get a rubbery texture if it is marinated for too long.

Rough chop garlic, quarter mushrooms, cut bacon into small dice and remove outer paper layer on pearl onions. I like to slice the onions in half, but you can keep them whole if you like.

Warm up your dutch oven over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

Cook bacon and render out the fat slightly browning the bacon. I like to season the bacon with some freshly cracked black pepper, around 6 turns on the pepper mill is adequate. Remove bacon from the dutch oven with perforated spoon once slightly browned. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Pour off 1/2 of the fat from the dutch oven into a container to use for other purposes.

By now the chicken should have marinated for around 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the bowl saving the wine. Pat chicken dry on both sides with paper towel. Add chicken dutch oven and sear both sides of chicken thighs. This may have to been done in batches. This can take around 2-3 minutes per side.

Once chicken is seared, remove from the dutch oven and set aside on a plate. Add mushrooms to the dutch oven. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until cooked and caramelized. I add some butter to the mushrooms when they start to caramelize for more flavor.

Add the onions in with the mushrooms, season with a pinch of salt and sweat for a few minutes until they start to brown a little bit. Add garlic and cook rawness off. This takes around 1 minute.

Add the tomato paste to the dutch oven and stir in thoroughly. I like to cook the paste until it starts to caramelize slightly. This can take around 3 minutes.

Add the butter and melt until bubbling. Add the flour and mix in with the butter leaving no clumps. Cook the rawness off the flour for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally. This going to be the roux that will thicken the braising liquid. Keep an eye on it as roux burns rather quickly.

Add the chicken with resting juices, red wine, thyme and stock to the pot. Bring liquid to a boil, turn off heat and cover with a lid keeping a small opening for steam to escape.

Place in oven for around 45 minutes. The chicken should be nice and tender and be able to pull apart with some slight resistence.

Once chicken is cooked, remove from the dutch oven and set aside on a plate. Place the dutch oven on the burner, heat over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, offsetting the dutch oven slightly off the burner. This is to coax the fat that is to be skimmed off the surface of the braising liqiud to once side of the dutch oven. Skim the fat off with a small ladle. Once the fat is skimmed, keep simmering the braising liquid for 10 or so minutes to reduce the liquid slightly.

Serve the chicken with some potatoes and some vegetables. I like this baked asparagus recipe and these crispy crushed potatoes.

Enjoy!

Logan