Coq au Vin is a traditional French chicken dish cooked in full-bodied Burgundy wine. This rich, tasty entrée is often served during the colder months of the year. While relatively simple to prepare, it will impress and delight your guests. The secret to the depth of flavor is marinating the chicken.

Ingredients

Coq Au Vin

6–8 lb (2.7–3.6 kg) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 bay leaves
½ tsp (1.4 g) peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp (29 g) unsalted butter
2 C (500 ml) Bordeaux or Burgundy wine
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 med carrots, chopped
1 C (59 g) button mushrooms
1 med white onion, chopped
1 C (100 g) pearl onions, peeled
1 med leek, sliced
¼ C (31 g) flour
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 Tbsp (2.5 g) flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

Coq Au Vin

Place chicken in a large bowl. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic and wine. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. The next day, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Remove chicken and reserve marinade; pat chicken dry; season with salt and pepper. In an oven-proof pot over medium-high heat, melt butter and brown chicken; remove and set aside. Add carrots, mushrooms, onion, pearl onions and leek to same pot; cook until golden, stirring often. Sprinkle flour over vegetables; return chicken to pot and add reserved marinade, stirring to combine. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs; cover and bake 1 hour. Discard herb sprigs and serve, garnished with parsley.

Serving Suggestion

Traditionally served over buttered egg noodles or roasted new potatoes, coq au vin also goes well with polenta or on its own with a crusty loaf of sourdough bread.

Prep time: 12 minutes.
Cook time: 1 hour.
Makes 4 servings.