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coq au vin with mashed potatoes plated

Coq au Vin with Mashed Potatoes

Translated literally it means “rooster in wine”.  This is a classic braised dish that uses a whole chicken but I prefer to use chicken thighs with are scrumptious and easier to serve.    Braising is one of my favorites cooking techniques because braised dishes can be made the day before and reheated before serving, so its perfect for entertaining and getting a jump on family dinner. In fact they are best made a day ahead so that the flavors get a chance to improve. You need 3 things for a perfect braise. A sturdy pot with a lid, brown your chicken to help develop the flavors and flavorful liquid, in this recipe, its wine.  Traditionalists use a red Burgundy, but any full-bodied red wine will do. Served over mashed potatoes, this is true French “comfort food”!
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Prep Time 50 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Marinate Time 2 hrs
Total Time 3 hrs 50 mins

Ingredients
  

Coq au Vin Ingredients

  • 8-10 pieces Chicken or 1 whole 4-pound chicken cut into parts
  • 3 cups Red Wine
  • 3-4 Thyme Springs
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • ¼ pound Lardons or Thickly Sliced Bacon sliced into ¼ inch wide slices
  • ½ pound Mushrooms washed and sliced
  • 20 Pearl Onions peeled or 1 cup frozen
  • 1- cup Chicken Stock
  • 3 cloves Garlic crushed
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 3 T Butter room temperature
  • 3 T All-Purpose Flour

Mashed Potatoes Ingredients

  • 3 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
  • 5 T Unsalted Butter
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Place the chicken in a bowl or zip lock bag. Add the wine, thyme, and bay leaves. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for least 2 hours, but overnight is better.
    bag with chicken, wine, and herbs in it
  • Pre-heat oven to 350º F.
  • In a Dutch oven or deep pan with a lid, over medium-high heat, sauté the bacon until crisp for about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the pan and set aside.
    dutch oven with lardons
  • Add the mushroom slices to the pan. Sauté until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the pan and set aside.
    mushrooms in the dutch oven
  • Remove the chicken from the wine. Reserve the wine and herbs. Pat the chicken dry. Season with salt and pepper.
    seasoning the chicken
  • Workings in batches, add the chicken pieces, skin side down, to the pan. Make sure to not overcrowd the pan. Sauté chicken until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Turn the chicken and repeat on the other side. Remove from pan. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Pour off any extra fat.
    searing the chicken skin side down
  • Add the wine and stock to the pot. Deglaze the pan by scraping up all the little brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil.
    adding the wine to the dutch oven
  • Then add the garlic, bacon, mushrooms, onions, and chicken pieces back to the pan. Cover pan with a lid and place in a 350º F oven for 40-45 minutes until chicken is cooked. If using chicken breasts, add them to the pot after cooking the dark meat for 20 minutes in the oven.
    adding the meat and mushrooms back into the pan with the wine
  • In a small bowl, mix the butter and flour. Using a spoon or your finger, mix until it forms a paste. Set aside.
    mixing the flour and the butter in a small bowl
  • Remove the chicken to a platter. Set aside. Remove the thyme and bay leaves. Discard the herbs.
    moving the chicken to a platter
  • Pour the sauce thought a strainer into a fat separator. Set the vegetables/bacon aside.
    pouring the sauce through a strainer
  • Let the sauce sit about 5 minutes to allow the fat to rise to the top. Pour the defatted sauce back into the pan. Remember pan is hot!!!
    adding the defatted sauce back to the pan
  • Place the pan on the stove on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Then, slowly whisk the flour paste into the sauce a little at a time. Cook until slightly thickened, about 4-6 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.
    sauce mixture in the pan
  • Return the chicken and vegetables/bacon to the pan to warm. Serve over mashed potatoes.
    add the chicken back to the pan to stay warm

Mashed Potatoes Recipe

  • Place potatoes in a pot filled with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
    peeling the potatoes
  • Place potatoes back into pot and mash. Add butter and ½ of the cooking liquid. If too thick, add the reserved liquid. Season with salt and pepper.
    mashing the potatoes with butter and cooking water

Notes

TIPS & TRICKS
– Traditionally, this dish is prepared with a whole rooster/chicken. You can use a whole chicken cut into pieces. I like to use bone in, skin on thigh meat. It makes for easy serving. Cooking chicken with the bone in and skin on helps protect the meat from drying out and adds loads of flavor. Your guest can simply remove the skin before eating if they wish.
– Marinating the chicken in wine overnight makes the chicken more flavorful.
– This dish is best made the day ahead, as the flavors improve with time.
– I like to use Yukon gold potatoes with this dish because they are so buttery and dense, and they hold up very well to the chicken and sauce.