Classic Coq au Vin (Printable)

Tender chicken slowly braised in red wine with pearl onions, mushrooms, and smoky bacon.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein & Main

01 - 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (approximately 3.3 lbs)
02 - 5.3 oz smoked bacon or pancetta, diced

→ Vegetables

03 - 7 oz pearl onions, peeled
04 - 8.8 oz cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
05 - 2 medium carrots, sliced
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 25 fl oz dry red wine (e.g., Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
08 - 8.5 fl oz chicken stock

→ Pantry & Herbs

09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
11 - 2 tbsp olive oil
12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season evenly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, brown chicken pieces in batches over medium heat until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
04 - Add sliced carrots, pearl onions, and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté until vegetables take on a light golden color, approximately 5 minutes.
05 - Stir in tomato paste and all-purpose flour; cook for 1 minute to develop flavor.
06 - Return chicken pieces and bacon to the pot. Add dry red wine, chicken stock, bay leaves, and fresh thyme sprigs, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
07 - Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook gently for 1.5 hours or until chicken is tender.
08 - While chicken cooks, heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté mushrooms until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then set aside.
09 - Uncover the pot for the last 15 minutes of cooking to reduce the sauce slightly. Stir in sautéed mushrooms and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
10 - Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Serve hot, optionally garnished with fresh parsley.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The long braise turns ordinary chicken into something so tender it falls off the bone, while the wine reduces into a sauce that tastes like it took days to develop.
  • Pearl onions and mushrooms sautéed separately means they stay tender instead of dissolving into the wine, adding real texture and sweetness.
  • Bacon and tomato paste work like flavor amplifiers, making the whole dish taste richer than the ingredient list suggests.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the chicken properly, even though it takes time; this is where half the flavor lives, and rushing it means a pale, one-dimensional braise.
  • If your sauce seems too thin at the end, remove the chicken to a plate, turn the heat up, and let the sauce bubble down for another 5 minutes rather than trying to thicken it with flour or cornstarch, which muddies the taste.
03 -
  • Don't be afraid of the long cooking time; it's not effort, it's the oven doing the work while you relax or prep other things, and patience is what transforms tough chicken into tender, flavor-soaked meat.
  • Save a small handful of fresh thyme or parsley to scatter on top right before serving—that fresh, green brightness against the deep wine sauce is what makes people close their eyes and take a moment.
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