Classic Coq au Vin with Bacon and Mushrooms

Classic Coq au Vin with Bacon and Mushrooms

ByDorothy Miller
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Coq au vin sounds fancy, but at heart it is a pot of chicken slowly braised in red wine. It is the dish I make on a quiet Sunday, when the oven can do the work for an hour and the house fills with the smell of wine, bacon and thyme.

It comes together in stages: crisp the bacon, brown the chicken in the fat, soften the vegetables, then braise everything in the oven. The pearl onions and mushrooms are cooked separately in butter and added at the end, so they stay golden instead of going limp.

A few things I have learned

Brown the chicken in batches. Crowding the pot steams the skin instead of coloring it, and that color is where much of the flavor comes from.

Use a dry red wine you would happily drink. The sauce reduces and concentrates, so a harsh wine only gets harsher. The dish also reheats beautifully, so I often make it a day ahead. More Sunday-style chicken dishes are gathered in my chicken dinner recipes.

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Coq au Vin

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Chicken braised in red wine with bacon, carrots, thyme, pearl onions and mushrooms.

  • Author: Dorothy Miller
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 ounces bacon or pancetta, diced
  • 1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 pound carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
  • 1/2 bottle (375 ml) dry red wine, such as Burgundy
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 10 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 pound frozen small whole onions
  • 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed, thickly sliced

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon.
  3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown it in the bacon fat in batches until golden on all sides. Set aside.
  4. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
  5. Return the chicken and bacon to the pot. Add the Cognac and carefully ignite it with a long match. When the flames die down, add the wine, stock and thyme.
  6. Bring to a simmer, cover and transfer to the oven. Cook about 1 hour, until the chicken is tender.
  7. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet and brown the frozen onions until cooked through. Set aside. Melt the remaining butter and sauté the mushrooms until browned.
  8. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a serving dish and discard the thyme.
  9. Set the Dutch oven over medium heat, stir the flour into the liquid and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
  10. Add the onions and mushrooms, heat through and pour the sauce over the chicken.

Notes

A Burgundy or Pinot Noir works well. The dish can be made a day ahead and reheated gently.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to flambé the brandy?

Lighting the Cognac burns off the raw alcohol. If you are not comfortable doing it, let it simmer for a minute or two before adding the wine.

What should I serve with it?

Mashed potatoes, buttered noodles or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Which wine should I use?

A Burgundy or a Pinot Noir works well.

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