Coq au Vin
Savor succulent chicken bathed in a rich, wine-infused sauce, accented by smoky bacon undertones and earthy, aromatic herbs, all in this simplified take on the classic French dish.
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 3 to 3-1/2 pounds
- 4 strips thick cut bacon thinly sliced crosswise into lardons
- 8 ounces shallots diced large (1/2-inch), or peeled pearl onions
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 8 ounces button mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup dry red wine ideally red Burgundy wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- fresh thyme sprigs for garnish, optional
- finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Pat chicken thighs dry on all sides and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
- In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot (I use a 3.5 quart braiser) over medium heat, cook bacon lardons until crisp. Transfer lardons to paper towel lined plate with slotted spoon, leaving rendered fat in the pan.
- Place a single layer of chicken thighs, skin-side down into hot bacon fat. Cook until skin browns; turn to brown other side (a total of about 8 minutes). Transfer to platter and repeat with remaining chicken thighs.
- Add shallots, onion, and garlic to pot; cook and stir until onion softens and is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and dried thyme; cook and stir 5 minutes more. Stir in red wine and broth; bring to boil. Add chicken skin-side up and any accumulated juices along with bacon lardons to pot; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter.
- Increase to medium-high heat and bring sauce to boil; cook until sauce thickens, 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and return chicken to pot; simmer until heated through, spooning some of the sauce over the top. Serve directly from pot or arrange on a deep platter. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and parsley if desired.
Notes
- Note that this make 4 generous servings. If you're serving vegetables and mashed potatoes, pasta or other filling sides, it would easily serve 6.
Nutrition
Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 458mg | Potassium: 656mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 262IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg
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