Name: Coq Au Vin
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil; 3 - 4 slices bacon (diced); 3 to 4 lbs. chicken cut up into parts (breasts, wings, legs, thighs and patted dry with paper towels); 3 to 4 carrots (cut up into 1 inch pieces); 1 onion (cut into large dice); 2 stalks celery (cut into 1 inch pieces); 2 garlic cloves (chopped or put through a garlic press); 2 cups dry red wine; 1 cup chicken stock; 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence; Sea salt; Black pepper; 2 Tablespoons corn starch; 2 Tablespoons cool tap water

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Coq Au Vin Recipe

Coq Au Vin was originally a method of cooking a tough old rooster in red wine. There are recipes in books and online that call for days of marinating and long cooking times, but nowadays we have tender, young chickens available in the supermarket and all that fuss is unnecessary. When days turn chilly, I want Coq Au Vin and some crusty bread for comfort, but no one wants to wait days and slave over the stove for hours. Here’s my quick recipe that’ll have a delicious version of the dish on your table in under two hours. Once the chicken is browned and the vegetables are sautéed, the rest is easy sailing in the oven.

Coq Au Vin

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 45

Course Entree

Cuisine French

Servings 4 servings

Calories 817 kcal

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
3 - 4 slices bacon diced
3 to 4 lbs. chicken cut up into parts breasts, wings, legs, thighs and patted dry with paper towels
3 to 4 carrots cut up into 1 inch pieces
1 onion cut into large dice
2 stalks celery cut into 1 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves chopped or put through a garlic press
2 cups dry red wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
Sea salt
Black pepper
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 Tablespoons cool tap water

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250º F.
Heat the oil in a 5 quart Dutch oven and cook the bacon pieces until they are crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown each piece in the oil remaining in the Dutch oven. Don’t crowd the chicken and take your time - 3 to 4 minutes per side. You may have to do just three pieces at a time. When each piece is browned, set it aside on a plate to catch the juices.
When done browning the chicken, pour out the oil in the Dutch oven leaving about 1 Tablespoon or less to coat the pan. Add the carrots, onions and celery to the Dutch oven with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. As the vegetables release some of their water, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula to release the brown bits stuck on the bottom. Push some of the vegetables aside to make an open sauté space and cook the garlic for 1 minute, then stir the garlic into the vegetables.
Pour the wine into the Dutch oven with the vegetables and add the bacon, chicken and collected juices to the pan. Sprinkle in the Herbes de Provence and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot with the lid and place it in the oven for 40 minutes. Test a piece of chicken with an instant read thermometer to make sure it has reached 160º F.
When the chicken is to 160ºF, set the Dutch oven back on the stove, turn the burner on low and remove the chicken to a plate. Make a smooth slurry by stirring the 2 Tablespoons of water into the corn starch. Slowly pour the slurry into the sauce in the Dutch oven while stirring gently. Simmer the sauce for 3 - 5 minutes until it begins to thicken. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Add the chicken back to the pot and serve.

Notes

If chicken skin is not desired, then take it off before browning the pieces. Although the skin crisps during the browning process, it re-softens during the braise. Nutrition information is approximate.

Looking for an inexpensive 5 quart Dutch oven? Here’s a great one on Amazon.com.

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