My friends, after battling traffic during my commute home – for, um, let’s just leave it at too long – I came home and set aside a small chunk of time to make this beauteous Coq au Vin recipe. It was worth every second.
And the sous chef, who has a more brutal commute than I do, came home with a bottle of red wine and beautiful holiday flowers – because he’s the sweetest (and I’m the luckiest), duh. The red wine he picked out, may or may not be in this chicken (it is – I’m just playing coy).
So, coq au vin – now I don’t want to scare anyone off because it’s French – it’s really pretty simple. In fact, it only takes one pan and just a little bit of time to dedicate to it.
And if English is makes you feel a teensy bit more at ease, loosely translated, it’s a rooster cooked in wine. And bacon. Does it get more delicious than that? Yes – that’s right. Wine and bacon in one dish. I know, Christmas came early. *hears angels singing*
This is the. perfect. winter. dinner. It has all the winter feels… And it feeds a crowd! Have family staying over Christmas? This will be your saving grace. Am I biased because my two favorite food groups are main ingredients in this recipe? Probably.
Are wine and bacon food groups? Questionable. But that’s beside the point.
This is a recipe that will be seriously impressive – and the depth of flavor in this classic, throwback dish is unrivaled. It’s comfort food at it’s finest.
P.S. – it’s sous chef approved [insert smirk face here].
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 1 hour and 40 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 5 strips bacon
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs seasoned with salt and pepper
- 4 chicken drumsticks seasoned with salt and pepper
- 16 oz. frozen pearl onions (we used Trader Joe's)
- 8 oz. carrots chopped
- 8 oz. baby bella mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1/2 cup good red wine
- 1 1/2 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
- 2 tablespoons water (optional)
Ingredients
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- In a large, thick-bottomed pan, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Once cooled, crumble the bacon.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan. In batches, sear the chicken thighs and drumsticks over medium heat until the skin becomes golden-brown and crispy, about 5-7 minutes each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Again, remove all but a thin coating of fat from the pan. Add your frozen pearl onions and carrots to the pan. Saute the frozen onions and carrots for about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic, and saute for an additional 10 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms are cooked.
- Deglaze the pan with the brandy, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom. Add the red wine and beef stock, mixing the sauce to combine.
- Return the bacon to the pan. Nestle the seared chicken thighs and drumsticks into the sauce. Cover. Let simmer for 45 minutes over low heat.
- (Optional Step) If you prefer a thickened sauce, mix together the cornstarch and water in a small prep bowl until smooth. Remove the chicken thighs and drumsticks from the pan, and set aside. Increase the heat of the pan to medium, and slowly add the cornstarch mixture, whisking quickly. Lower the heat and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, and serve. Enjoy!
Our wine choice to pair with the coq au vin is a bold, juicy cabernet sauvignon. Try the Black Stallion 2011 - a rich, full-bodied cabernet with great depth. Cheers!
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