Coq Au Vin is one of my favorite comfort foods. It combines a few of the best food groups; butter, bacon, and wine.
Yeah, I know they aren’t really food groups, but they should be. Bacon especially, because bacon makes everything better.
I subscribe to the real food, clean eating philosophy. That basically means I eat foods from sources found in nature. There’s no processed ingredients or science experiment materials in my cooking. Real food is butter, whole milk, fresh no additive bacon (Applegate Farms is a great brand), fresh vegetables and fruits, grass-fed and free range meats, and whole grains. With butter, bacon, and alcohol I enjoy them but always on moderation.
This is a classic French dish. The name means Chicken with Wine. Slow braising makes this chicken fork tender. It’s one of those dishes that is great for a sit down family meal. Making time for a family meal is very important to use. We all get really busy and run short on time. Dinner is a time to slow down, reconnect with our loved ones, and enjoy our food.
Some Coq Au Vin recipes call for bottles of wine. My version calls for only 3 cups. A wine bottle holds 4 cups. So that’s means you have 3 cups of the chicken and 1 testing cup for you. After all you don’t want to use bad wine. Right? You don’t have to use expensive wine for this dish. I like to you Three Buck Chuck, Trader Joe’s brand wine, Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a great flavor and is only $2.99 a bottle. You can’t beat that!
This recipe uses a whole chicken cut up. If you prefer you can use other parts of a chicken. I like using just chicken thighs too. They can be cheaper than buying a whole chicken and the dark meat has tons of flavor. This dish is wonderful served with mashed potatoes, noodles, roasted red potatoes, or couscous. I like to serve it with egg noodles, a simple green salad, and fresh baguette. Simple, delicious, done!
Yields 4 servings
10 minPrep Time
1 hr, 20 Cook Time
1 hr, 30 Total Time
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Ingredients
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/4 inch x 1 inch pieces
6 tablespoons butter (4 tablespoons cold + 2 tablespoons softened)
Whole chicken, cut up into 10 pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup whiskey
3 cups red wine
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
2 bay leafs
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
3 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
2 cups sliced carrots
Chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, fry bacon over medium heat until light brown. Remove bacon and set aside.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the bacon drippings. Add chicken and brown on both sides, about 6 minutes per side.
- Add the whiskey to the chicken and cook 3 minutes. Add bacon. Cover Dutch oven and cook on medium low for 10 minutes, turning chicken once.
- Add wine and stock. Chicken should be just covered. If not, add enough water to cover. Add tomato paste, garlic, thyme, sage, and bay leaves. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Chicken will be fully cooked and juices will run clear when pierced with a fork. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Cool the stock a little and skim off fat from the top. Add sliced carrots. Bring stock to a boil and reduce broth to 3 cups, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves.
- In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Stir frequently. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons butter and flour until you form a thick paste. Whisk the paste to the chicken stock until incorporated. Return Dutch oven to heat and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Sauce will thicken.
- Return the chicken to the Dutch oven to coat with the sauce. Place on a plate. Add mushrooms to the sauce and add the sauce over the plated chicken.
- Serve immediately.
Have you had this classic dish?
What kind of wine do you like to use?
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