Coq au Vin
Indulge in tender chicken simmered in rich red wine, savory lardons, and earthy mushrooms for a classic French delight.
Ingredients
- 1.6 kg chicken pieces
- 150 g lardons
- 250 g mushrooms, quartered
- 250 g pearl onions, peeled
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 bouquet garni
- 7 dl red wine
- 5 dl beef stock
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- salt and black pepper
How to make it
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with kitchen paper and season them well with salt and black pepper. Heat the neutral oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat and brown the chicken in batches on all sides until the skin is deep golden, then set aside.
- Add the lardons to the same casserole and cook until they render and take on color. Add the pearl onions and cook them for a few minutes, stirring often, until they are lightly glazed and beginning to soften.
- Stir in the mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and start to brown around the edges. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the plain flour and stir so the fat coats everything evenly. Pour in the red wine and beef stock, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the casserole.
- Add the bouquet garni and return the chicken and any juices to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for about 45 minutes until the chicken is tender.
- Remove the lid and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes so the sauce reduces to a glossy, brick-red coating. Stir in the butter for a smoother sheen and season again with salt and black pepper.
- Discard the bouquet garni and let the chicken rest in the sauce for a few minutes.
- Serve the chicken in wide shallow bowls with the pearl onions, mushrooms, and lardons spooned around it, all coated in the dark wine sauce.
