Coq au Vin

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large Dutch oven (5-7 quart) with tight-fitting lid
• •12-inch skillet for mushrooms and onions
• •Wooden spoon for deglazing
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the chicken

   Pat the chicken pieces completely dry with paper towels. This matters more than you think. Wet skin will not brown, and browning is where flavor begins. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides. Let the pieces sit at room temperature for thirty minutes while you prepare everything else.

   Dark meat is traditional and preferable here. Thighs and drumsticks braise beautifully without drying out. Save breasts for another dish.
2. 2

   Render the bacon

   Set a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the pieces turn golden and crisp, about eight to ten minutes. The kitchen will smell like promise. Transfer the bacon to a plate, leaving every drop of fat in the pot.

3. 3

   Brown the chicken

   Increase heat to medium-high. Working in batches so you do not crowd the pot, brown the chicken pieces in the bacon fat. Give each piece four to five minutes per side, resisting the urge to move them. You want deep golden color, the kind that looks almost too dark. This is not overcooking. This is building the foundation of your sauce. Transfer browned pieces to the plate with the bacon.

   If the pot looks dry between batches, add a tablespoon of butter. The chicken should sizzle confidently when it hits the pan.
4. 4

   Sauté the aromatics

   Pour off all but two tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add the smashed garlic and cook until fragrant, about thirty seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for one minute, letting it darken slightly and lose its raw edge. The paste will cling to the fond on the bottom of the pot. This is good.

5. 5

   Deglaze with wine

   Pour in the entire bottle of wine. Yes, the whole bottle. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up every bit of caramelized fond from the bottom. Those brown bits are concentrated flavor. Bring the wine to a boil and let it reduce by about one third, approximately ten minutes. The raw alcohol smell will soften into something rich and promising.

   Use wine you would drink. Not expensive, but honest. A simple Côtes du Rhône or domestic Pinot Noir works beautifully.
6. 6

   Braise the chicken

   Add the chicken stock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Nestle the chicken pieces back into the pot, skin side up, along with any juices that collected on the plate. The liquid should come about halfway up the chicken. Do not submerge it. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low. Let it braise undisturbed for one hour.

7. 7

   Prepare the garnish

   While the chicken braises, prepare your mushrooms and onions. Heat one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the quartered mushrooms in a single layer and cook without stirring until they develop golden color on one side, about four minutes. Stir and continue cooking until tender and deeply browned, another three to four minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a bowl.

8. 8

   Glaze the pearl onions

   In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of butter and the pearl onions. Cook over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until the onions are golden in spots and tender when pierced with a knife, about twelve to fifteen minutes. They should look burnished and smell sweet. Add them to the mushrooms.

9. 9

   Finish the sauce

   After the chicken has braised for one hour, it should be very tender, the meat pulling easily from the bone. Transfer chicken pieces to a platter and tent loosely with foil. Remove and discard thyme stems and bay leaves. Bring the braising liquid to a simmer. In a small bowl, mash the remaining tablespoon of butter with the flour to form a paste. Whisk this into the simmering sauce bit by bit. Let it cook for five minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.

   If your sauce seems thin, let it reduce uncovered for another ten minutes. The flavors will concentrate beautifully.
10. 10

    Combine and serve

    Return the chicken to the pot along with the bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions. Spoon the sauce over everything and warm through for five minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper. Scatter fresh parsley over the top. Serve directly from the pot, or arrange on a warm platter with crusty bread to catch every drop of sauce.

Chef Tips

• •Buy your bacon from a butcher who cures their own, or find slab bacon you can cut into proper lardons. Pre-sliced supermarket bacon is too thin and will not render properly.
• •Pearl onions are tedious to peel. Drop them in boiling water for one minute, then into ice water. The skins slip off easily. Or buy them already peeled in the freezer section. I will not judge.
• •This dish tastes even better the next day. Make it a day ahead, refrigerate overnight, and reheat gently. The flavors deepen and marry in ways that same-day cooking cannot achieve.
• •Serve over buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread. Something must catch that sauce.
• •A Burgundy or Pinot Noir makes the best pairing at the table, mirroring what went into the pot.

Advance Preparation

• •The complete dish can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The flavor improves with time. Reheat gently over low heat.
• •Mushrooms and pearl onions can be prepared earlier in the day and held at room temperature until needed.
• •The dish freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly on the stovetop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)