If someone says they're cooking Coq Au Vin for dinner, grab a bottle of wine and a seat at the table. Coq Au Vin is chicken braised slowly in red wine with mushrooms, onions, fresh herbs, and bacon. It's a fancy-sounding name for a simple recipe that harkens images of the French countryside. This recipe is great for special occasions, but simple enough for an anytime meal. You'll be proud to serve this to any guest.
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What Is Coq Au Vin?
Coq Au Vin. It sounds fancy but it translates simply to Rooster Cooked in Wine. Most Coq Au Vin recipes share these ingredients: chicken, bacon, mushrooms, pearl onions, and dry red wine. Like many Cajun recipes, the origins and procedures link back to provincial French cooking. This recipe could be a field guide to Cajun cooking; use all available ingredients, waste nothing, and slowly cook everything in one pot. That tough old hen or rooster whose productive days are behind them finds their way into the cauldron, flavored with bacon or other pork fat from the herd of hogs, onions and mushrooms from the garden, and lots of red wine to slowly braise the tough old bird.
Tips to Make This Recipe Extraordinary
Coq Au Vin’s rich flavor starts with bacon (I could stop there), mushrooms, and pearl onions, but the slow braise in red wine seals the deal. Keep these tips in mind to get the most out of these wonderful ingredients:
- Slowly render the bacon starting in a cold Dutch oven. This assures that every bit of fat gets rendered before the bacon is overcooked.
- Let cut-up chicken rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes up to an hour before seasoning and dusting. This will help dry the skin a bit which helps with browning.
- Slowly brown the seasoned and dusted chicken in the bacon fat over medium heat which is hot enough by the time we reach this stage.
- Before you add the Red Wine and stock, deglaze the Dutch oven to release all the flavor adhering to the bottom after browning the bacon, chicken, and vegetables. There's lots of flavor in the bottom of the pan that will be missed if you rush past this step.
- Recognize the rustic nature of this dish by giving your vegetables a rough chop.
- Onions and mushrooms are added twice in this recipe. The first batch of onions and mushrooms helps flavor the sauce, and then more mushrooms and Pearl Onions are added to provide texture and lots of flavor.
- This recipe does not use a traditional roux to thicken and color the gravy or sauce. The thickener comes at the end and is a Beuree Manié, a paste made of equal parts AP flour and butter. This method provides a silky-smooth sauce. See the Hints and Tips (FAQ) Section below for other thickening options.
Here’s What You Need
You can find a complete list of ingredients with quantities in the Recipe Card below.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: I cut a whole chicken into 10 pieces by chopping the breasts in half. Ask your butcher to cut up a chicken or use individual pieces. See the Hints and Tips (FAQ) Section below for more on chicken options.
- Mushrooms: Baby Bella Mushrooms are perfect for this dish. They provide an earthy umami flavor. You can substitute your favorite mushroom.
- Onions: We start with yellow onions for the sauce and finish with pearl onions to have a flavorful bite of onion with the finished dish. Frozen or fresh Pearl Onions can be used. Chipolini Onions are a good substitute for the Pearls.
- Dry Red Wine: Use a full-bodied dry red wine like a Bordeau. Any dry red wine with 13.5 percent alcohol is considered full-bodied; other options are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Pinot Noir.
- Brandy/Port/Sherry: A small amount is used to deglaze the Dutch oven to capture lots of flavor. Use a fortified wine for this as it adds a subtle dimension to the flavor profile. You can use some of the dry red wine if you have nothing else.
- Stock: Commercial or homemade chicken stock is best for this recipe. Chicken bouillion is a good substitute, but use plain water only as a last resort.
- Salt: This recipe was developed using Le Bon Papa Creole Seasoning, a No-Salt, No-MSG all-purpose Creole and Cajun seasoning. If you use a Creole seasoning that contains salt, hold off on adding additional salt until you taste the sauce. Other sources of salt in this recipe are butter (in the Beuree Manié) and chicken stock.
- Fresh Parsley and fresh Thyme add an herbal pop to this recipe. They should be combined in a bouquet garni so it's easy to discard the stems.
- Instead of starting with a roux, this sauce will be thickened using Beurre Manié, a paste of equal parts butter and flour added to the sauce at the end.
Equipment
Coq Au Vin does not require special equipment. This rustic recipe can be cooked in one pot, like this Cast Iron Dutch Oven or this Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Hints and Tips (FAQ)
You can make this recipe a day ahead and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. Chances are the flavors will meld together and taste even better.
Allow leftovers to cool before placing them in an airtight container. Leftovers can be held for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove over low heat until heated through. This can also be reheated, covered, in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven or slowly in the microwave.
The recipe is best using bone-in, skin-on chicken. You can use whatever type of chicken you want, like all breasts or all thighs. Leg/Thigh Quarters are a great option. You can also use boneless/skinless if you prefer, but the cooking time will need to be reduced because boneless chicken cooks faster than bone-in chicken.
Dry red wine is traditionally used in Coq Au Vin, but it can be made using a dry white wine.
Bacon provides an important part of the flavor profile. You can substitute pork fat or pancetta and still get the pork flavor, but vegetable oil, olive oil, and butter are also substitutes for the bacon.
Mushrooms and onions will be added twice to this recipe. The first batch will get a long simmer and become part of the sauce base, the second batch is added towards the end of the cook and will maintain their shape and distinct flavor. This provides a rustic texture to the dish.
Beurre Manié delivers a smooth, thicker sauce, but there are substitutes. You can use a pre-cooked (or even store-bought) roux, or stir in a cornstarch or arrowroot slurry (1 Tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot with 1 Tablespoon of cold water). Add these to a simmering sauce and completely whisk or stir until dissolved.
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Here’s What You Do
First…you have a beer. You wouldn't think a recipe for Coq Au Vin would be simple, but with proper preparation, this is an easy recipe. Start preparing yourself by sipping a beer while you read the recipe all the way through. Not only will you relax, but you'll learn what you need and what you will do with each ingredient and piece of equipment. Then, all that is left is your mise en place.
Mise en Place
To prepare the chicken:
- If using a whole chicken, cut it into 10 pieces (cutting the breasts in half crossways). If using Thigh and Leg Quarters, trim any loose skin and fat. Rest in the fridge if you have time.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper on all sides, then let it sit for about 15 minutes.
- Season ½ cup flour with 1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess flour. Set aside.
Lagniappe Tip: The AP flour will help the chicken brown. We are not frying the chicken and do not need much flour. Instead of dredging the chicken pieces in flour, sprinkle the flour directly on the seasoned chicken. Spread the flour by hand to cover all parts of the chicken, then shake off any excess flour. Allow the dusted chicken to sit until needed. This method reduces waste by not having a lot of flour to throw away.
Steps to prepare the remaining ingredients:
- Chop the bacon into 2" pieces.
- Coarsely chop the yellow onions, celery, and shallots.
- Coarsely chop the garlic and parsley.
- Clean and cut the mushrooms into halves or quarters so that all the pieces are roughly the same size. (Check out the Lagniappe Tip below about the mushrooms)
- Remove the loose skin from the pearl onions. Frozen pearl onions can be used without thawing.
- Combine the Creole seasoning, kosher salt, ground pepper, and cayenne (if using) in a small prep bowl with the bay leaves.
- Tie a bouquet garni with the fresh thyme and the fresh parsley.
- Measure the remaining ingredients.
- Set the butter out to soften for the Beurre Manié.
Lagniappe Tip: If the mushrooms are small, leave them whole. The mushrooms can be sliced in half or quarters, or sliced. Try to get them approximately the same size. The mushrooms that go in first can be chopped or sliced smaller than the ones going in last.
Build Flavor in Layers
What happens in this step? We start with a foundation of flavor derived from browning the chicken and the vegetables in bacon renderings.
- Set a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon while the Dutch oven is cold, then render the bacon fat. Remove and reserve the bacon, leaving the renderings in the Dutch oven. This will take about 12 minutes.
- Maintaining medium heat, brown the seasoned and dusted chicken in the bacon fat for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
Lagniappe Tip: Don't overcrowd the Dutch oven while browning the chicken. This would tend to steam the chicken instead of searing. Brown the chicken in batches if necessary.
- Add the yellow onions and celery. Fry, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms to the onions. Add about ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt and saute until the liquid has been released from the mushrooms and cooked off. This should take about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, if necessary.
- Return the heat to medium and add the garlic, shallots, and half of the Herb and Spice Blend; stir constantly until the garlic is aromatic, which will only take 2 or 3 minutes.
- Deglaze the Dutch oven with port or brandy and stir all the released fond into the other ingredients.
Lagniappe Tip: Deglazing the Dutch oven is an important step and should not be skipped. The fond that developed on the Dutch oven bottom contains deep flavor that is mixed into all the ingredients through deglazing.
Build the Sauce and Braise the chicken
What happens in this step? Upon this great flavor foundation, we will create the sauce in which to braise the chicken until tender.
- Add the dry red wine; stir well.
- Add about 1 cup of stock and stir well.
Lagniappe Tip: Add only half of the chicken stock (1 cup) at this stage. Once the chicken has been added back to the Dutch oven, add more stock if needed to barely cover the chicken.
- Place the bouquet garni and bay leaves in the Dutch oven; stir well. Bring the Dutch oven to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Return the browned chicken with any juice that has accumulated. Return the Dutch oven to a simmer.
- Add 4 tablespoons of chopped parsley and the remaining Herb and Spice Blend.
- Reduce the heat, cover the Dutch oven, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Lagniappe Tip: Optionally, you could place the covered Dutch oven in a preheated 375-degree Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes to an hour.
Finish the Sauce
What happens in this step? We will finish the sauce by adding more mushrooms and Pearl Onions. When the chicken is extremely tender, we will thicken the sauce with a Beuree Manié.
- After 30 minutes, add the remaining mushrooms and pearl onions to the Dutch oven.
- Stir well and continue to simmer the chicken, uncovered, until it is very tender when probed with a bamboo skewer or fork, probably about 15 more minutes.
Lagniappe Tip: While the Dutch oven is simmering, it's time to mix the Beuree Manié:
- Place the softened butter in a small bowl and add the AP flour.
- Using the back of a spoon, mash and stir until a paste is formed.
- Let the paste rest for a few minutes while the flour absorbs all the moisture from the butter.
- Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and set it aside. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a heavy simmer.
- Add a tablespoon of the Beurre Manié and stir or whisk it into the simmering sauce. Let the sauce simmer for a minute or two, then add more Beurre Manié if needed.
Notes on using the Beurre Manié:
- This works fairly quickly and will produce a smooth, thicker sauce.
- Add the Beurre Manié while the sauce is at a heavy simmer or low boil.
- Start by stirring or whisking one tablespoon into the sauce. Wait about 2 minutes after it is completely dissolved in the sauce. If you want the sauce a little thicker, add another tablespoon.
- Leftover Beurre Manié can be kept in the fridge or freezer.
Lagniappe Tip: This is an optional step, but I usually remove the skin from the chicken before adding it back to the finished sauce. The skin has done its job and provided a lot of flavor, but there is no more flavor to give, at this point.
- Once the Beurre Manié has been incorporated into the sauce, stir in the chopped parsley and let it simmer for at least 3 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and bouquet garni and add the chicken back to the Dutch oven. Baste the chicken with the sauce and serve.
Serving Suggestions
In South Louisiana, Coq Au Vin is commonly served with long-grain rice. Other great options are mashed potatoes or Buttered Parsley Potatoes. Make sure to get some Pearl Onions and mushrooms, then crumble some of the reserved bacon on top.
For an optional presentation, when removing the chicken to thicken the sauce, place it on a serving platter. You may want to place the platter in a warmer oven (170 degrees Fahrenheit). Once the sauce has thickened, ladle it over the chicken, then top the platter with chopped parsley and crumbled bacon.
Here are some great side dishes for you Coq Au Vin:
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Recipe
Coq Au Vin
Here's What You Need
- 4 ½ pounds Whole chicken cut up; see Notes
- ½ cup AP flour
- 1 Tablespon Creole Seasoning
- 8 slices Bacon
- 2 cups yellow onions coarsely chopped
- ½ cup celery coarsely chopped
- 3 Tablespoons garlic about 6 cloves; coarsely chopped
- 1 cup shallots coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ pound mushrooms quartered; in all
- ½ pound pearl onions See Notes
- ¼ cup Brandy/Port/Sherry
- 3 cups Dry Red Wine
- 2 cups chicken stock in all
- 6 tablespoon parsley chopped-in all
Bouquet Garni
- 4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 2 Sprigs Fresh parsley
Herb and Spice Blend
- 2 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon White or black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper optional
For the Beurre Manié
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
- 3 Tablespoons AP flour
Here's What You Do
- Cut chicken into 10 pieces. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Season ½ cup flour with 1 Tablespoon Creole seasoning
- Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour and shake off the excess flour.
- Set a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the bacon to the cold Dutch oven. Render the bacon; remove it from the Dutch oven, leaving the renderings. (about 12 minutes)
- Maintaining a medium heat, brown the chicken in the bacon fat for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set it aside. Don't overcrowd the Dutch oven, do this in batches if necessary.
- Add the yellow onions and celery to the Dutch oven. Fry the onions and celery, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes
- Add about 1 pound of the mushrooms. Add about ½ teaspoon of Kosher salt and saute until the liquid has been released from the mushrooms and cooked off. This should take about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, if necessary.
- Return the heat to medium and add the garlic and shallots; stir constantly until the garlic is aromatic, which will only take 2 or 3 minutes.
- With the heat at medium-high, deglaze the Dutch oven with port or brandy and stir all the released fond into the other ingredients.
- Add the wine, stock, garni, and bay leaves; stir well. Bring the Dutch oven to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Return the browned chicken to the Dutch oven and return it to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat and cover the Dutch oven and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add the remaining mushrooms and pearl onions to the Dutch oven. Cook until the chicken is tender, about another 15 to 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and set aside.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. With the sauce at a heavy simmer, add some Manié to thicken the sauce slightly. Add chopped parsley. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Remove the bay leaves and garn; add the chicken (skin removed-optional) and baste with the sauce.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
It's Me!
Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
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Cynthia Vice-Arriaga
WOW! I can't believe you have a bottle of Pontchartrain Vinyards port in your beauty shot!! Most amazing port ever.
Look forward to using this recipe but tell me, how DO I peel those fresh pearl onions? What a PIA!
Sweet Daddy D
You have highly developed observation skills! For the Pearls, snip off the stem end (opposite the root end) and just pull off the loose outer skins. However, I agree about the PIA designation, so I highly recommend grabbing a bag of frozen pearl onions. They are ready to go and you don't even need to defrost them. Thanks, Cynthia!
Sweet Daddy D
I know you will love this fantastic recipe!