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Coq Au Vin

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Coq Au Vin

My first taste of Coq au Vin was at a charming little restaurant aptly named Le Coq. When they closed their doors I mourned the loss deeply because it was my favorite places to enjoy this classic French dish. Coq au Vin is a quintessential example of French cuisine—an elegant, flavorful braised chicken with wine. It’s a dish beloved by many, including Julia Child, who made it one of her signature recipes.

The name translates directly to “rooster with wine.” However, unless you’re sourcing your poultry straight from a farm, you’ll never really know whether your grocery store chicken is male or female. This sparked some amusement with a friend who gently teased me when I proudly announced we were having “rooster with wine.” Despite their protests, I steadfastly refuse to call it Poulet au Vin. There’s something undeniably more intriguing about the original name, even if its literal meaning isn’t entirely practical in today’s kitchens.

My craving for Coq au Vin eventually got the better of me, and I set out on a mission to recreate the magic of the dish at home. What started as a nostalgic experiment turned into a full-blown culinary adventure. I tested, tweaked, and perfected my recipe, determined to create something even better than what I’d savored at Le Coq. After many trials, I succeeded. This recipe became the star of my French Dinner Party and a personal triumph.

Making this requires patience—it’s a three-day process—but don’t let that intimidate you. The work is well-paced, with day one devoted to marinating the chicken to infuse it with incredible flavor and day three reserved for simply warming it up. The result? A rich, complex dish that tastes like it came straight out of a French countryside kitchen.

So roll up your sleeves, uncork a bottle of wine, and get ready to create something truly special. Let’s make Coq au Vin! Print

Coq Au Vin

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Classic French chicken with onion, mushroom and bacon in wine

  • Author: TJ
  • Yield: 4-8 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken Marinade

  • 8 pieces of chicken, 4 legs and 4 thighs
  • (1) 750 ml bottle of Burgundy or Pinot Noir
  • 1 large yellow onion – 1/4″ slices
  • 2 celery ribs – 1/4″ slices
  • 1 large carrot – peeled and sliced
  • 2 TBL olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove – smashed
  • 1 tsp whole black peppercorns

For the Coq au Vin

  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 6 TBL olive oil – divided
  • 1/2 lb slab bacon – sliced into 2” pieces
  • 3 garlic cloves – minced
  • Sea salt – to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper – to taste
  • 3 TBL AP flour
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 16 pearl onions – peeled
  • 1 lb small cremini mushrooms – halved
  • 2 TBL  parsley – chopped
  • 8 sprigs parsley for garnish

Instructions

Marinating the Chicken

  1. Combine the wine, onion, celery, carrot, garlic and peppercorns in a large pot
  2. Bring to a boil on high heat then reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes
  3. Cool completely then mix in 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  4. Pat the legs and thighs dry then place them in a large glass bowl. Pour the marinade mixture over the chicken and gently turn or stir to ensure the chicken is well coated
  5. Cover and refrigerate for 1 day, turning the chicken once or twice to thoroughly marinate

Finishing the Coq au Vin

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
  2. Tie the parsley stems, bay leaves and thyme together in cheesecloth and set aside
  3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in a colander to drain
  4. Strain the marinade and reserve the liquid and vegetables separately
  5. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat and saute the bacon until crisp and browned 5-6 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towels
  6. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the bacon grease and increase heat to medium high. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides about 6-8 minutes per batch. Set the chicken aside
  7. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and saute the celery, carrot, onion, peppercorns and garlic until softened, about 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables evenly
  8. Stir in the reserved wine marinade and chicken broth, bring to a boil and stir. Cook until sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes and remove from heat
  9. Add the chicken pieces and the herb bundle, nestling them into the vegetables
  10. Cover the dutch oven and bake in the oven until tender, about 1-1/4 hours
  11. While the chicken is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet and saute the pearl onions about 8-10 minutes or until tender and set aside with the bacon
  12. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet and saute the mushrooms until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside with the bacon and onions
  13. Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven – it will be heavy and hot!
  14. Remove the chicken to a large bowl. Strain the sauce, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce if necessary
  15. Gently combine the sauce, bacon, onions and mushrooms, then pour over the chicken. Gently fold with a spatula to fully coat each piece of chicken
  16. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to thoroughly meld

Serving the following day

  1. Reheat in the oven at 225 degrees for 2 hours. Keep warm on your stove top until ready to serve
  2. Plate over brown butter egg noodles and garnish with fresh sprig of parsley
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