French Coq au Vin
A rustic French braise where chicken slowly simmers in red wine with mushrooms, pearl onions, and smoky lardons until everything is meltingly tender.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or 3 lbs bone-in thighs and drumsticks)
- 6 oz (170g) thick-cut bacon or lardons, cut into strips
- 8 oz (225g) cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 1 cup frozen pearl onions (or 12 fresh, peeled)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine (Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley tied together)
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
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1
Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon. In the rendered fat, brown chicken pieces in batches, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
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2
Add mushrooms and pearl onions to the pot. Cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste, cook 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour and stir for 1 minute.
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3
Pour in the entire bottle of wine and the chicken broth. Scrape up all the browned bits. Add the bouquet garni and return the chicken and bacon to the pot.
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4
Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until chicken is very tender and the sauce has thickened.
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5
Remove bouquet garni. Stir in butter for richness. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread or mashed potatoes.
