**Coq au Vin: A French Classic Made Easy**
Coq au vin is a classic French dish that epitomizes the rustic charm and hearty flavors of French cuisine. This delectable dish features succulent chicken pieces braised in a rich and flavorful red wine sauce, enhanced with aromatic vegetables, savory herbs, and the tang of bacon. The result is a tender and juicy chicken nestled in a luscious, deeply flavorful sauce that will tantalize your taste buds. This article provides two variations of this timeless recipe: a traditional coq au vin and a simplified version for those seeking a more streamlined approach. Both recipes capture the essence of this French classic, ensuring a delightful culinary experience.
COQ AU VIN
Cook Ina Garten's top-rated recipe for classic French Coq Au Vin from Barefoot Contessa on Food Network with Burgundy wine, cremini mushrooms and pancetta.
Provided by Ina Garten
Categories main-dish
Time 1h30m
Yield 3 servings
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.
- Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.
- Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.
CHEF JOHN'S COQ AU VIN
I like to use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs instead of an old rooster for my coq au vin. Like all braised dishes, tougher cuts with lots of connective tissue work best, and on a chicken that would be the thigh/leg section. Of course, someone will ask if they can use chicken breasts; please don't. They just will not add that sticky goodness to the braising liquid that the thighs will.
Provided by Chef John
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European French
Time 1h45m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Season chicken thighs all over with salt and black pepper.
- Place bacon in a large, oven-proof skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate, leaving drippings in the skillet.
- Increase heat to high and place chicken, skin-side down, into skillet. Cook in hot skillet until browned, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate; drain and discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings from the skillet.
- Lower heat to medium-high; saute mushrooms, onion, and shallots with a pinch of salt in the hot skillet until golden and caramelized, 7 to 12 minutes.
- Stir flour and butter into vegetable mixture until completely incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Pour red wine into the skillet and bring to a boil while scraping browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir bacon and thyme into red wine mixture; simmer until wine is about 1/3 reduced, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour chicken broth into wine mixture and set chicken thighs into skillet; bring wine and stock to a simmer.
- Cook chicken in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Spoon pan juices over the chicken and continue cooking until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken to a platter.
- Place skillet over high heat and reduce pan juices, skimming fat off the top as necessary, until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; remove and discard thyme. Pour sauce over chicken.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 334.5 calories, Carbohydrate 7.7 g, Cholesterol 81.3 mg, Fat 17.9 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 24.2 g, SaturatedFat 5.7 g, Sodium 422.2 mg, Sugar 2.1 g
COQ AU VIN
Coq au Vin is a traditional French stew where chicken is slowly braised in red wine and garnished with mushrooms and pearl onions. Nourishing and comforting, it is easy enough to serve to your family on a cold night, but also so rich and decadent that it will definitely impress friends at a dinner party.
Provided by Olivia Mesquita
Categories Main Course
Time 1h35m
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Pat dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel and season generously with salt and pepper. Reserve.
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, over medium-high heat. Add the lardons or bacon and cook until golden, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the lardons with a slotted spoon and reserve, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- Add more oil if needed, then add the chicken, without overcrowding the pot. Depending on the size of your pot, you might need to work in batches. Brown the chicken on all sides until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the chicken to the plate with the lardons and reserve.
- If the chicken has rendered a lot of fat, drain or wipe off the excess (being careful not to disturb the browned bits from the bottom of the pot), leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot.
- Lower heat to medium, then add the chopped onion and carrots. Cook until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes. Then, stir in the garlic and cook for a minute to release its aroma.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about a minute, then add the flour and cook for another minute, to get rid of the raw flour taste.
- Pour in the red wine and add the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 10 minutes, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface.
- Add the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Once boiling, add back the chicken pieces, lardons and any juices that have collected on the plate.
- Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 45 minutes or until the chicken is very tender.
- Once there's about 15 minutes left for the chicken to be ready, prepare the pearl onions and mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan or skillet, over medium-high heat. Add the pearl onions and a pinch of salt, and cook until nicely browned, about 5-8 minutes. Remove to a plate and reserve.
- Add another tablespoon of oil and 2 tablespoons butter, then sauté the mushrooms until browned, about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and reserve with the pearl onions.
- Once the stew has finished cooking, carefully remove the chicken pieces to a plate or serving vessel, tenting with foil to keep them warm. Also, remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
- Optional: Make beurre manié by mixing one tablespoon of softened butter with one tablespoon of flour.
- Return the pot to the stove, over medium-high heat, and - if using - add the beurre manié to thicken the sauce. If the sauce is not thick enough to your liking, make more beurre manié. If too thick, you can thin it out with more chicken stock or wine.
- Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning. Then, add 1/4 cup parsley, reserving the rest to garnish the dish.
- Stir in the reserved pearl onions and mushrooms.
- If serving in the pot, return chicken to the pot, garnish with the remaining parsley, and serve. If serving on a serving vessel, pour the sauce over the chicken, then garnish with parsley and serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 994 kcal, Carbohydrate 32 g, Protein 49 g, Fat 59 g, SaturatedFat 22 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 273 mg, Sodium 736 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 11 g, UnsaturatedFat 31 g, ServingSize 1 serving
COQ AU VIN
A coq au vin is a classic French stew in which chicken is braised slowly in red wine and a little brandy to yield a supremely rich sauce filled with tender meat, crisp bits of bacon, mushrooms and burnished pearl onions. Traditional recipes call for a whole cut-up chicken, but using all dark meat gives you a particularly succulent dish without the risk of overcooked white meat. However, if you would rather substitute a whole cut-up bird, just add the breasts in the last 30 minutes of simmering. If you want to skip the croutons for garnish you can, but they do add a lovely, buttery crunch alongside the soft, simmered meat and vegetables. This recipe is part of The New Essentials of French Cooking, a guide to definitive dishes every modern cook should master. Buy the book.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, roasts, soups and stews, main course
Time 2h
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Season chicken with 2 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a large bowl, combine chicken, wine, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or, even better, overnight.
- In a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook lardons over medium-low heat until fat has rendered, and lardons are golden and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lardons to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving rendered fat in pot.
- Remove chicken from wine, reserving the marinade. Pat chicken pieces with paper towels until very dry. Heat lardon fat over medium heat until it's just about to smoke. Working in batches if necessary, add chicken in a single layer and cook until well browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (Add oil if the pot looks a little dry.) Transfer chicken to a plate as it browns.
- Add diced onion, carrot, half the mushrooms and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pot. Cook until vegetables are lightly browned, about 8 minutes, stirring up any brown bits from the pot, and adjusting heat if necessary to prevent burning.
- Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then stir in flour and cook for another minute. Remove from heat, push vegetables to one side of pot, pour brandy into empty side, and ignite with a match. (If you're too nervous to ignite it, just cook brandy down for 1 minute.) Once the flame dies down, add reserved marinade, bring to a boil, and reduce halfway (to 1 1/2 cups), about 12 minutes. Skim off any large pockets of foam that form on the surface.
- Add chicken, any accumulated juices and half the cooked lardons to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, turning halfway through. Uncover pot and simmer for 15 minutes to thicken. Taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons oil in a nonstick or other large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pearl onions, a pinch of sugar and salt to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, shaking skillet often to move onions around. Uncover, push onions to one side of skillet, add remaining mushrooms, and raise heat to medium-high. Continue to cook until browned, stirring mushrooms frequently, and gently tossing onions occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove onions and mushrooms from skillet, and wipe it out.
- In same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until bubbling. Add bread and toast on all sides until golden, about 2 minutes per side. (Adjust heat if needed to prevent burning.) Remove from skillet and sprinkle with salt.
- To serve, dip croutons in wine sauce, then coat in parsley. Add pearl onions, mushrooms and remaining half of the cooked lardons to the pot. Baste with wine sauce, sprinkle with parsley and serve with croutons on top.
CHICKEN-BREAST COQ AU VIN
Our healthier take on the traditional French dish relies on a leaner cut: boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The stew is still plenty hearty, especially when served over cooked rice, barley, or quinoa.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Chicken Chicken Breast Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Make a bouquet garni: Using a small piece of cheesecloth, wrap 3 garlic cloves, peppercorns, thyme, bay leaf, and parsley stems; tie in a bundle with kitchen twine. Set aside.
- Cut chicken into strips about 2 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. In a large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add onions and remaining 3 cloves garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a dish.
- Add butter and remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook in two batches until browned, about 1 minute per side. Return chicken to skillet. Add cognac and wine; deglaze pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in chicken stock and tomato paste. Add bouquet garni. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, 15 minutes. Add reserved mushrooms, onions, and garlic; cook 5 minutes more.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and vegetables to a bowl. Discard bouquet garni. Over high heat, reduce stock by half, about 12 minutes. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon water. Pour mixture into stock, and stir until incorporated. Cook 2 minutes. Return chicken and vegetables to pot, and cook over medium-low heat until warmed through. Chop parsley leaves, and stir into chicken mixture. Serve stew immediately, garnished with thyme.
COQ AU VIN (CHICKEN BRAISED IN RED WINE)
Elegant but hearty chicken and wine dish. A nice blend of Burgundy, herbs, and garlic. I serve this with hot cooked noodles, crusty French bread, and a salad for a wonderful company meal. And don't forget the wine!
Provided by papergoddess
Categories Stew
Time 1h30m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Mix flour, salt and pepper and put in paper or plastic bag.
- Drop chicken pieces into bag and shake to coat.
- In large skillet fry bacon until crisp; drain and reserve bacon bits.
- Brown chicken in bacon drippings.
- Remove to a plate.
- Add onions and mushrooms to skillet and cook until onions are tender.
- Drain off fat.
- Return chicken pieces to skillet (or you can place this in a large oven-proof baking dish).
- Add remaining ingredients, including bacon bits.
- Cover and simmer about 1 hours.
- or until chicken is tender.
- (Or cover and bake at 350F for 1-1 1/2 hrs).
- Remove Bouquet Garni before serving.
- Skim off excess fat.
- If desired, sprinkle with snipped parsley.
COQ AU VIN (CHICKEN BRAISED IN WINE)
A French classic - a delicious stew that deserves only a truly free-range bird, or an old hen or rooster.
Provided by evelynathens
Categories Chicken
Time 2h
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Bring the red wine to the boil with the sprigs of thyme, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns, then leave to cool for 1 hour; pour the wine over the chicken pieces and marinate for 12 hours.
- Fry the bacon in a frying pan, remove with a slotted spoon; add the oil to the pan and fry the onions until softened; remove to casserole dish.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Dust the chicken pieces with a little flour, then put them in the frying pan and brown them lightly; pour in the warmed brandy and flambé it (or cook off alcohol); transfer the chicken pieces and liquid to the casserole and add the bacon, strained marinade (with tomato paste stirred in), garlic and mushrooms; cover and cook in a preheated oven at 300F for about 1 hour.
- In the meantime, fry the small onions in butter with the sugar and a little water until glazed; add to the casserole and cook for a further 30 minutes; if the sauce needs thickening, stir in a few small knobs of beurre manié.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the chopped parsley over before serving.
Tips:
- Sear the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and ensure even browning.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven to evenly distribute and retain heat throughout the cooking process.
- Choose a full-bodied red wine with a rich flavor, such as Burgundy or Cabernet Sauvignon, to enhance the depth of the sauce.
- Add a splash of red wine vinegar or lemon juice to brighten the flavors and balance the richness of the sauce.
- Simmer the chicken for at least 1 hour, or until the meat is tender and cooked through.
- Serve the coq au vin immediately with crusty bread or mashed potatoes to soak up the delicious sauce.
Conclusion:
Coq au vin is a classic French dish that is both hearty and flavorful, perfect for a special occasion or a cozy dinner at home. With its tender chicken braised in a rich red wine sauce, this dish is sure to impress your family and friends. So next time you're looking for a delicious and satisfying meal, give coq au vin a try. You won't be disappointed!
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