Description
Julia Child’s classic Coq au Vin is a hearty French stew featuring tender chicken thighs and legs braised in a rich red wine sauce with bacon, mushrooms, pearl onions, and aromatic herbs. This rustic dish combines deep flavors through a slow cooking process, resulting in succulent meat and a velvety sauce perfect for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken thighs and legs, bone in and skin on
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 ounces bacon (about 3–4 slices)
- 8 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 20 pearl onions, peeled
- 2 large carrots, sliced into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Liquids & Sauces
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 2 1/2 cups dry red wine (burgundy, pinot noir)
- 1 cup chicken broth
Herbs & Seasonings
- 1 bay leaf
- 6–8 sprigs fresh thyme
- Fresh parsley, leftover thyme leaves to garnish
Other Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Extra virgin olive oil, for sautéing
Instructions
- Make the butter-flour paste: Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter and all of the flour in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Set this aside as it will be used later to thicken the sauce.
- Cook the bacon: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven or large braiser over medium heat. Add bacon slices and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until beginning to crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate, reserving all drippings in the pot. Once cool, roughly chop the bacon and set aside on the same plate.
- Brown the chicken: Pat the chicken pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. Add them skin side down into the pot with the bacon fat and cook for 3-5 minutes per side until evenly browned. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon.
- Sauté vegetables and tomato paste: Add the diced yellow onion, minced garlic, sliced carrots, and tomato paste to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly. Then return the chicken and bacon to the pot.
- Flambé with brandy: Remove the pot from heat and pour in the brandy. Let it warm for 1-2 minutes, then carefully ignite it with a long match or fireplace lighter. Allow the flames to burn off for about 30 seconds to a minute, then pour in the red wine to extinguish the flames.
- Simmer the stew: Once flames are out, return the pot to medium heat. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
- Cook mushrooms and pearl onions: While the chicken simmers, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and pearl onions, cooking for 5-8 minutes until onions soften and mushrooms release juices.
- Combine and thicken sauce: After the chicken is done, uncover the stew and add the cooked mushrooms and pearl onions. Whisk the butter-flour paste into the stew. Simmer uncovered for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens to a velvety consistency.
- Final seasoning and garnish: Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley, thyme leaves, and a sprinkle of ground black pepper before serving immediately.
Notes
- Flambéing the brandy burns off the alcohol and adds a subtle smoky depth to the dish. Use caution when lighting the alcohol.
- Using bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and legs ensures the meat stays moist and flavorful after braising.
- Peeling pearl onions can be expedited by blanching them in boiling water for 1 minute, then plunging into ice water.
- The flour and butter paste, or beurre manié, is a classic French technique to thicken sauces smoothly.
- This dish pairs beautifully with crusty French bread or buttered noodles to soak up the luscious sauce.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day after flavors have melded.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1 chicken leg and thigh with sauce)
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
Keywords: Coq au Vin, Julia Child, French cuisine, braised chicken, red wine stew, comfort food
