As you’ll know if you read our blog regularly, we love our Cookbook Supperclub. Call it what you will but its a great way of having a girls night in, without it costing us all a fortune. We share food, wine and lots of laughter, it’s our modern day take on the dinner parties of the 1970’s. When talking about true retro dinner party dishes, Michelle mentioned that she’d never eaten coq au vin. We decided it was time to re-introduce this old favourite, just in time for the onset of Autumn where our thoughts do turn more to cold nights and the warmth of a one-pot stew. Retro or not, this dish is packed full of flavour, who’s going to say no to soft chicken cooked in butter, bacon and lots of wine – not us that’s for sure.
coq au vin
Print recipe
| Serves | 4-6 |
Ingredients
- 30g butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 rashers smoked streaky bacon (cut into lardons)
- 2 carrots (sliced)
- 8-10 shallots (peeled and left whole)
- 200g button miushrooms (left whole)
- 1 medium sized free-range chicken (jointed - or ask your butcher to do this for you)
- 1 pint of red wine
- 1 chicken stock pot
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 bouquet garni (celery stick, 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs thyme, small bunch parsley)
- 1 tbsp flour
- salt and pepper
Directions
| In a large heavy based saucepan (use one with a tight fitting lid), melt the butter and olive oil over a medium heat. Add the chopped bacon to the pan and saute gently until golden. Remove the bacon from the pan and add the shallots, sliced carrot and mushrooms, stir gently and allow the vegetables to gently colour, take care not to burn. Once golden remove the vegetables from the pan. | |
| Take the chicken portions, season well on both sides, place them into the saucepan and saute on both sides. You want to get a good golden colour on the skin, set aside on a plate once this is done. Cook the chicken in batches, do not overload the saucepan otherwise the chicken will steam and you won't get the colour or the crispy skin that you need to flavour the dish. | |
| Pour the wine into the pan to de-glaze it, scraping the bottom of the pan to ensure you get all the flavour working through the gravy. Melt the chicken stock pot through the wine. Add back in the bacon and cooked vegetables, the garlic and the bouquet garni should placed in the pot and stirred through before placing the chicken portions on top. Reduce the heat to a simmer, place the lid on the pan and leave it on the hob to cook for approximately 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. | |
| Remove the meat and vegetables from the saucepan and discard the bouquet garni. Turn the heat up and reduce the volume of the wine by a quarter. Take some of the wine liquor from the pan and mix it with a tablespoon of flour before adding back into the pan and whisking to thicken the gravy. Adjust the seasoning at this point then add back in the meat and vegetables. | |
| Serve the chicken with the vegetables and some simple boiled potatoes. | |
Note
This dish is a great make ahead dish that can be made in the morning and heated up for dinner later in the day or indeed left overnight in the fridge and used the next which makes it a great dinner party dish.
This recipe has been shared to CookBlogShare where you can find other recipes by fellow food bloggers.
4
This dish looks wonderfully warming and rich, perfect for the colder days ahead. I’d make a big batch and enjoy leftovers the next day! Thank you for bringing this lovely recipe to #CookBlogShare:)
You’re welcome Monika, I always make extra when I cook a stew – very handy to have in the freezer. Lesley
This is such a classic! I love the flavours and richness of Coq au Vin and your recipe looks divine!
Thank you Cliona, I do love a classically good plate of food. Especially one that’s as quick to pull together as this recipe. Lesley x