Prep Time 30 Minutes | Cook Time 1 1/2 Hours | Serves 6
Coq a vin is like the French version of a chicken who had too much wine at a party and decided to take a dip in a hot tub of red wine with some veggies. It’s like the chicken was like “Hey, why not marinate myself in some fine Bordeaux and see what happens?” And voila! Coq au vin is born. Just imagine a chicken with a little wine buzz, strutting around in a pot full of vegetables and herbs, living its best bougie life. It’s like a fancy chicken spa day, but instead of cucumbers on its eyes, it’s got mushrooms and bacon. Bon appétit!
What you need to do before you begin
Bone in chicken thighs and breast. Cooking with the bone in adds delicious dimension to this dish. Also keeping the bone in, it offers a more juicer and tender piece of poultry. Typically when the chicken comes with bone in there will be skin. Remove the skin before browning, if you leave the skin on it will become soggy during the cooking process.
Chop up your carrots into ½ inch rounds, you will need 6 large peeled carrots. Chop and dice your whole onion and slice your thick cut bacon into ½ inch pieces.
Step 1: SWEAT IT OUT
In a pot, on medium to high heat, place your chopped bacon. Cook and stir for two minutes or until lightly cooked. Then you will want to take your chopped onion, mushrooms and carrots and place into the pot with the bacon. Add olive oil to the pot. You will want to stir and cook until the onions are translucent, this should take 10 minutes. Remove your onions, carrots and bacon from the pot and place to the side. Leave some of the olive oil in the pot.
Step 2: CRISPY
In your pot, on high heat, take your skinless bone in chicken and sear for four minutes on both sides. You want to have a crispy exterior – have a plate handy so you can transfer the cooked chicken. After you seared each piece of chicken, and placed the chicken aside, bring the heat down to low/medium.
Step 3: SAUCY
In the pot, on low/medium heat add your butter and let it melt completely. Then add your flour and stir quickly. Once completely combined (no clumps), bring your heat back up to medium/high, add the seared chicken back into the pot. Now will be the time to also add in the carrots, onions and bacon. Stir and then add the chicken stalk and red wine.
Let cook on high for 5 minutes and then add in your bay leaves, fresh thyme and fresh rosemary. Add the salt and pepper as well. Let cook on high for 10 minutes then bring the temperature down to medium. Cook on medium for one hour.
I really like to pair this dish with garlic mashed potatoes, its a delicious and hearty meal that will warm up any cool day on Cape Cod!
Ingredients
- 6 large carrots
- 1 whole white onion
- 1/2 cup mushrooms of your choice
- 5 slices of thick cut bacon (chopped ½ inch)
- 4 bone in chicken thighs
- 4 bone in chicken breasts
- ½ cup of red wine
- ¼ cup of olive oil
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup of flour
