Best Coq Au Vin Recipe - How To Make Coq Au Vin

PHOTO: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

How To Make Coq Au Vin

Ingredients

Chicken: Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are not only easier to find than the traditional choice of rooster, but will stay tender and juicy in this stew.
Bacon: Cut your bacon into 1” pieces—you want to really bite into your pieces of bacon instead of having small bites.
Mushrooms: Baby bella mushrooms (or cremini mushrooms) are my go-to choice here.
Pearl Onions: Pearl onions are traditional for coq au vin, so you want to find them if possible. If you can find them skinless, that is ideal, but if not, use this hack: Boil them for around 1 minute, then transfer to an ice bath. Let sit for around 5 minutes, then strain and transfer to a cutting board. Cut off the root end, the pinch the stem end with your fingers to push out the onion. It’s as simple as that.
Carrots: I recommend choosing a large carrot, then peeling and slicing it into large chunks before adding to your stew.
Tomato Paste: This not only helps thicken the stew, but adds a tangy, slightly sweet flavor.
Flour: All-purpose flour is what will thicken the stew.
Red Wine: Use a nice red wine here, one that you thoroughly enjoy drinking even better if it's from Burgundy!). Pinot noir is my favorite, and what I highly recommend.
Chicken Broth: Beef broth is often used in this stew, but I prefer to use chicken broth for a bit of a lighter taste that is still rich.
Brandy: Brandy will add a mellow sweetness and richness here.
Butter: The final step of adding unsalted butter with make the stew rich, silky, and decadent.

Step-By-Step Instructions

First step: Preheat the oven to 350°. Before we get started on cooking our dish, we need to peel the pearl onions. Fill a large Dutch oven with water and bring to a boil. Add your onions, then boil for around 1 minute. Add to an ice bath, and let sit for around 5 minutes. Strain your onions before adding to a cutting board, then cut off the root end. Pinch the stem end, and push out the onion. Voila! Your onions are ready to go.

Cook your bacon in a Dutch oven until crispy, over medium to low heat. Once crispy, remove with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate. Don’t get rid of any of that bacon fat in the Dutch oven! That’s what we’ll be cooking our chicken in.

PHOTO: MALCOLM LIVINGSTON

Then, season the chicken legs with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Make sure to season every part of the chicken—don’t be conservative here!

PHOTO: MALCOLM LIVINGSTON

Add chicken to the pot, skin side down. If your pieces are too big, work in batches to avoid overcrowding your pan. Cook until the skin is golden on all sides, then remove chicken from the pot and transfer to a plate. Now that the chicken is done, get rid of all of the leftover oil, except for 3 Tbsp.

PHOTO: MALCOLM LIVINGSTON

Now, let’s get our veggies going. To the same pot, add your mushrooms, pearl onions, and carrots. Cook this all until golden, stirring occasionally, then add your garlic. Cook only until fragrant, around 1 minute more. Then, add your tomato paste and your flour, stirring to combine and fully coat your vegetables between each step.

PHOTO: MALCOLM LIVINGSTON

Pour in your wine, broth, and brandy to the pot, and add your bacon and chicken back in. Add in the fresh thyme, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring everything to a boil, then cover with a lid and place in the oven once it comes to a boil. Cook until the chicken is cooked through—the best way to check this is to use a meat thermometer, and take it out when the chicken reaches 165°. At that point, remove the chicken from the pot and place on a plate to keep warm while we complete the finishing touches on our stew.

PHOTO: MALCOLM LIVINGSTON

Return the pot to the stovetop, over medium heat. Add your butter, and simmer until the sauce has thickened. This should take around 10 minutes, but cook until the sauce is your desired thickness and has reduced around half.