Coq au vin, the easy and traditional recipe

Meat 1 h 50 min 6 servings Medium ~750 kcal

by Tavolino

A comforting classic of French cuisine, this coq au vin features chicken slow-cooked in red wine with bacon lardons, mushrooms, and vegetables, resulting in tender meat and a rich, flavorful sauce.

Ingredients

chicken 1.8 kg
red wine (Pinot Noir, Languedoc, or Côte du Rhône) 75 cl
carrots, sliced into rounds 3
onion, thinly sliced 1
garlic cloves, whole and crushed 3
fresh thyme sprigs 5
bay leaves 2
bacon lardons 250 g
tomato paste 1 tablespoon
cognac 3 tablespoons
flour 2 tablespoons
chicken stock 350 ml
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered 250 g
shallots, halved, or pearl onions 6
olive oil 2 tablespoons
butter 30 g
cornstarch 1 tablespoon
cold water 30 ml

Preparation

1
Cut 1.8 kg of chicken into pieces. Slice 3 carrots into rounds, thinly slice 1 onion, and crush 3 garlic cloves.
2
In a large dish, marinate the chicken with the red wine, carrots, onion, garlic, 5 sprigs of thyme, and 2 bay leaves for 12 hours in the refrigerator.
3
Drain the chicken and pat the pieces dry. Strain the marinade, keeping the wine and vegetables separate.
4
In a Dutch oven, sauté 250 g of bacon lardons with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until golden brown.
5
Remove the lardons. In the same Dutch oven, brown the chicken pieces on all sides.
6
Sprinkle the chicken with 3 tablespoons of flour and stir well to coat the meat.
7
Pour 3 tablespoons of cognac over the chicken and carefully flambé.
8
Add the vegetables from the marinade, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, the lardons, and 350 ml of chicken stock.
9
Pour the wine from the marinade into the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
10
Cover the Dutch oven and let simmer over low heat for 60 minutes.
11
Meanwhile, sauté 250 g of button mushrooms and 6 shallots in 30 g of butter in a pan.
12
Add the mushrooms and shallots to the Dutch oven and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
13
Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 30 ml of cold water, then pour into the sauce to thicken it.
14
Let simmer for another 5 minutes to bind the sauce before serving.