coq au vin

this classic french dish reminds me of my days in paris! you can find coq au vin (chicken w/ wine) at almost any restaurant in france. i know recipes like this can be daunting but having your mise en place ready and just following the recipe step by step is all it takes and you end up with a fabulous french bistro quality, home cooked meal! because of the many steps of this recipe, i've tried to include as many pics as possible. so i urge you to try it at home!

mise en place

coq au vin
serves 6
6 chicken thighs w/ legs attached (w/ skin & bones)
6 slices thick bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
1 head of garlic
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken stock, preferably low sodium
3-4 sprigs thyme
5-6 sprigs italian flat leaf parsley
1 recipe champignons au beurre (recipe below)
1 recipe sautéed pearl onions (recipe below)
fleur de sel & freshly cracked pepper

liberally season the chicken with fleur de sel & freshly cracked pepper. set aside.
dice the onion, carrot and celery. peel and smash all the garlic cloves. set aside.

slice bacon into 1/2 inch slices. in a large dutch oven, melt the butter. when the butter starts to foam, add the bacon and sautée until crispy. with a slotted spoon transfer the bacon to a plate lined w/ paper towel and set aside. reserve some of the rendered bacon fat in a small bowl and set aside. in the same pan, working in batches, brown the chicken thighs & legs. start with the skin side down and cook about 6-8 minutes until the skin is brown and crispy. flip and cook the other side for about 3-4 mins, adding more of the reserved bacon fat if/when necesary. the chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this point, just seared on the outside. when chicken is seared, transfer to a baking sheet or large plate and set aside.

in the same pan, add the diced onion, carrot and celery and sautee until softened. about 5 mins. add all the garlic cloves and sautée another 2 mins. add the tomato paste and mix well. sprinkle in the flour, mix well and cook for another 3 mins.

pour in the wine and bring to a boil. reduce until there is about 1/2 the amount left. add chicken stock and bring to a boil. add the chicken back in along w/ the parsley and thyme, making sure all the chicken is covered. lower the heat to a gentle simmer. simmer for 1 hour uncovered. while the chicken is braising, prepare the mushrooms and pearl onions (recipes below).

after an hour of braising, remove the chicken from the pot and transfer onto a baking sheet and cover to keep warm. drain the stock into a large bowl, pressing down on all the vegetables to release all the juices. add the stock back to the pan. discard the vegetables.

bring the stock back to a boil and reduce to thicken. add the reserved bacon, sautéed mushrooms and pearl onions. simmer until everything is thouroughly heated. about 5 mins. season with salt and pepper to taste. (note: i found that i didn't need to add any salt at this point as it was very tasty)
put the chicken under the broiler, skin side up, until it becomes dark and crispy. about 5-10 mins., depending on how dark and crispy you want it.

plate chicken with mashed potatoes, pour the sauce over it and serve!


champignons au beurre (mushrooms w/ butter)
2 tablespoons butter
8 oz. (1 pkg) crimini mushrooms, halved or quartered, depending on the size
1 green onion, minced
fleur de sel & freshly cracked pepper

in a skillet, over medium high heat, melt the butter. once it starts to foam, add the mushrooms and sautée until they brown lightly. season lightly with salt & pepper. take off heat and add the green onions. mix well and set aside.


sautéed pearl onions
about 25 white pearl onions
3 tablespoons butter

bring a medium pot of water to a boil. add the onions and cook until they become tender, 5 mins. strain and set aside to cool. once cool enough to handle, slice of the root end and you will be able to easily peel off the rest of the skin. peel all the onions.

in a skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter, once the butter begins to foam, add the onions and cover w/ aluminum foil, letting the onions braise in the butter. shake the pan so the onions move around, checking frequently to ensure all sides are evenly browned.

bon appétit~!