French · Free recipe
Coq au Vin
Chicken braised slowly in red wine with bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions until fall-off-the-bone tender and glossy. A classic country French dish that tastes like it took all day but is truly foolproof.
Step 1
Pat the 6 chicken thighs very dry with paper towels, then season all over with the 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dry chicken browns much better than wet chicken.
Step 2
Set a large Dutch oven (about 6 quarts) over medium heat. Add the bacon strips and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp and the fat has rendered. Scoop the bacon out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
Step 3
Raise the heat to medium-high. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in the bacon fat, without crowding, and sear undisturbed for 5 minutes until the skin is deep golden. Flip and sear 3 more minutes, then move to the plate with the bacon.
Step 4
Lower heat to medium and add the 2 tablespoons butter. Add the mushrooms and cook 5 minutes until browned and shrunken, stirring occasionally. Add the pearl onions and carrots and cook 3 more minutes.
Step 5
Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, stirring so it does not burn.
Step 6
Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Add the 2 tablespoons tomato paste and stir another minute; it will darken slightly.
Step 7
Pour in the 2 1/2 cups red wine slowly while scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift all the browned bits. Add the 1 cup chicken broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf.
Step 8
Return the chicken and bacon to the pot, nestling the thighs skin-side up so the tops peek above the liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat; you want small bubbles, not a hard boil.
Step 9
Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer gently for 45 minutes. The chicken should be very tender and the sauce reduced and slightly thickened.
Step 10
Uncover and simmer 10 more minutes to concentrate the sauce. It should coat the back of a spoon. If it is still thin, simmer a few minutes longer.
Step 11
Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Taste the sauce and add a pinch more salt or pepper if needed.
Step 12
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot, spooning plenty of sauce and vegetables over each portion. It is wonderful over mashed potatoes or with crusty bread.
Tips from the test kitchen
- Use a wine you would actually drink; the flavor concentrates in the sauce.
- Do not let it boil hard once the chicken is back in, or the meat can turn tough.
- It tastes even better reheated the next day.
