Coq Au Vin aka Cock with Wine

Cock with wine?  Really?  Well, that is the literal translation for Coq Au Vin and it caught your eye, didn’t it?

We could also just say it’s a chicken stew made with copious amounts of red wine, bacon, mushrooms, garlic, and shallots and slow cooked to a tender, fragrant deliciousness that will rock your world.

Coq au vin is an iconic dish that Julia Child made famous with her breakthrough cookbook [amazon_link asins=’0375413405′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’savorwithjenn-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a92ad053-d2b8-11e7-9f5b-7fb2dc8cd1a9′].  However, despite the fancy sound and some of the more time consuming details that Julia recommends, it not a complicated dish to make.

This is one of those dishes that is even better the second day, so if you choose to serve it at a dinner party, its so easy to reheat and won’t take you away from you guests.

I prefer using leg quarters or thighs for Coq au vin even though it traditionally calls for an ‘old cock or rooster’.  The first step is to fry bacon pieces to a crisp in a large dutch oven.  If you have seen my recipe for Homemade Hickory Smoked Bacon, this is an amazing opportunity to use some.  Unfortunately, the day I was craving this, my bacon was still in the curing process and I had to use store bought.  Bacon lardons are best if you can find them, but thick cut will do.

Make sure after the bacon is crisped to perfection, that you put a quarter of it to the side.  Three quarters will simmer in your stew and the reserved quarter is used as a garnish.  I can’t emphasize how life changing the crispy crumbles on top of your strew will make this dish!

After removing the bacon from your dutch oven, lightly brown the leg quarters that you have seasoned with salt and pepper in the bacon drippings.  You may have to do this in two batches.  Transfer chicken to a plate.  Drain off all but 2 Tablespoons or so if the drippings.

Lower the heat in your dutch oven, saute mushrooms with a pinch of salt until lightly browned and remove.  Add shallots and carrots and with a pinch of salt and lightly brown them as well.  When the shallots and carrots are golden, add minced garlic and tomato paste.  Stir and cook for about a minute.

Add the flour, butter, bacon, mushrooms and thyme.  Stir until flour is completely incorporated and lightly cooked.

Pour in red wine and the bay leaf, making sure that you have reserved a glass of wine for yourself.  I’ve noted that it really enhances the cooking experience!  Bring up to a gentle boil and simmer until liquid has reduced by 1/3.

Add chicken stock and leg quarters and return to a simmer.

Cover and cook for and hour in the oven.  Half way through, baste chicken with the stew.

Remove from oven and return to stove top when chicken is cooked through.  Uncover and return to a rolling boil to thicken the stew.  Skim off any fat as needed and stir in fresh chopped Italian parsley.

Serve over seasoned mashed potatoes or rice.  Garnish with additional parsley and reserved bacon crumbles.  Crusty bread and butter is also a nice accompaniment.

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Coq Au Vin

Chicken, red wine, shallots, mushrooms, garlic and carrots are slow cooked into a fragrant stew

Course French chicken stew with wine

Cuisine French

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 8

Author Jennfier Grissom

Ingredients

• 4-5 chicken leg quarters
• kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 3/4 pound bacon - lardens or 1/2" strips
• 1 pound baby bella or button mushrooms - sliced or whole
• 4-6 shallots sliced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 4-6 carrots pealed and sliced into 1" chunks
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 cups red wine of choice
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme dry may be substituted
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Season leg quarters with salt and pepper
3. Cook bacon in large dutch oven over medium high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes.
4. Transfer bacon to drain on a plate.
5. Remove a quarter of the bacon for garnish.
6. Increase dutch oven temperature to high and cook chicken 2-4 minutes per side until lightly browned.
7. Remove chicken to a plate and drain off all but 2 tablespoons drippings in pot.
8. Lower heat to medium and saute mushrooms with a pinch of salt in drippings until browned and remove.
9. Saute carrots and shallots with a pinch of salt until slightly caramelized.
10. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for about a minute.
11. Add butter, flour, bacon, and thyme.
12. Incorporate the flour thoroughly for 1-2 minutes.
13. Pour red wine into pot and add a bay leaf.
14. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce liquid by 1/3.
15. Add stock and chicken and bring back to a low boil.
16. Cover dutch oven/pot and cook in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
17. Baste chicken with stew, cover, and continue cooking for 30 additional minutes until chicken is 165 degrees internally and juices run clear.
18. Place dutch oven on stove top and return to a boil until slightly thickened.
19. Taste stew and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
20. Skim fat if needed.
21. Add fresh parsley.
22. Serve over seasoned mashed potatoes or rice.
23. Garnish with parsley and bacon crumbles.
24. Enjoy!