Classic French Coq Au Vin Recipe Made Wonderfully Simple

Mastering this classic coq au vin promises a culinary adventure that transports you straight to the rustic kitchens of rural france.

Wine-soaked chicken becomes a delectable masterpiece when prepared with patience and love.

Tender meat absorbs rich flavors from burgundy and aromatic herbs.

Generations of home cooks have perfected this comforting dish through careful techniques passed down over decades.

Layers of complexity emerge from each carefully selected ingredient, blending into a harmonious symphony of taste.

Robust red wine mingles with crispy bacon, creating depth that will surprise and delight.

You’ll want to savor every single bite of this legendary french classic.

Why Delia Smith Coq Au Vin Recipe Feels So Rich And Rustic

• Conquer Complex Cooking: Transform intimidating French cuisine into a manageable kitchen adventure with this classic coq au vin recipe that breaks down sophisticated techniques into simple steps.
• Maximize Flavor Potential: Layering ingredients in the same pan captures deep, rich flavors by preserving delicious browned bits and creating a complex, deeply satisfying sauce.
• Impress Dinner Guests: Elevate your culinary skills with a restaurant-quality dish that looks and tastes incredibly gourmet while being surprisingly straightforward to prepare.
• Family Comfort Meal: Hearty chicken braised in red wine creates a warm, comforting meal that brings everyone together around the dinner table with its inviting aromas and luxurious taste.

Ingredients For Delia Smith Coq Au Vin Recipe

• Chicken Joints: Classic French poultry cut that provides rich, tender meat for this traditional dish.
• Bacon: Adds smoky depth and crispy texture to enhance the overall flavor profile.

• Onions: Provides sweet and savory foundation for the sauce.
• Garlic, Thyme, Bay Leaves: Classic herb and spice combination that builds complex French countryside flavors.
• Salt, Black Pepper: Essential seasonings that balance and elevate the dish's taste.

• Red Wine: Signature ingredient that creates the deep, rich sauce characteristic of Coq Au Vin.
• Butter, Flour: Used together to create a roux that thickens and enriches the sauce.
• Mushrooms: Adds earthy flavor and additional texture to the final dish.
• Parsley: Fresh herb used for garnishing and adding a bright, clean flavor note.

Step-By-Step Guide For Delia Smith Coq Au Vin Recipe

Step 1: Sear The Chicken

Heat a large skillet with butter and oil. Brown chicken pieces carefully, working in small batches to ensure each piece gets a beautiful golden crust. Avoid overcrowding the pan to maintain high heat and achieve perfect caramelization.

Step 2: Prepare Flavor Base

Transfer seared chicken to a large cooking pot. In the same skillet, cook bacon until crispy and golden. Add chopped onions to the bacon and cook until they become soft and translucent. Transfer bacon and onions to the pot with chicken.

Step 3: Build Aromatic Foundation

• Salt
• Black pepper
• Minced garlic
• Fresh thyme leaves
• Bay leaves

Stir gently to distribute seasonings evenly across the chicken pieces.

Step 4: Introduce Wine Bath

Pour red wine into the pot, completely covering the chicken and vegetables. Cover the pot and let the mixture simmer slowly, allowing flavors to meld together for about 45-50 minutes.

Step 5: Add Earthy Mushrooms

During the final 15 minutes of cooking, add sliced mushrooms to the pot. These will absorb the rich wine sauce and add delightful texture.

Step 6: Create Luxurious Sauce

Remove chicken and solid ingredients, keeping them warm. Boil the remaining liquid to reduce by one-third, concentrating the flavors.

Step 7: Thicken And Finish

Whisk a butter-flour paste into the reduced liquid to create a silky, rich sauce. Pour the sauce generously over the chicken pieces.

Step 8: Serve With Elegance

Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Serve hot, preferably with crusty bread or over mashed potatoes to soak up the delicious sauce.

Pro Tips For Delia Smith Coq Au Vin Recipe

• Control Browning Quality: Use a heavy-bottomed pan to ensure even, golden-brown chicken without burning, which develops rich, deep flavors.
• Manage Wine Selection: Choose a good-quality burgundy or pinot noir that you'd enjoy drinking, as the wine's taste significantly impacts the final dish's complexity.
• Prevent Overcrowding Technique: Brown chicken pieces in small batches to maintain high pan temperature, creating a perfect crispy exterior and preventing steaming.
• Balance Sauce Consistency: Whisk butter-flour paste slowly and steadily to create a smooth, velvety sauce without lumps, ensuring a luxurious texture.
• Enhance Herb Infusion: Crush dried thyme between your fingers before adding to release more intense aromatic oils and deepen the herb's flavor profile.

Tasty Variations On Delia Smith Coq Au Vin Recipe

• Vegetarian Coq Au Vin: Replace chicken with firm tofu or seitan, using vegetable broth instead of wine for a plant-based version.
• Low-Carb Adaptation: Substitute onions with celery and use cauliflower instead of traditional accompaniments to reduce carbohydrate content.
• Gluten-Free Option: Use cornstarch or arrowroot powder instead of flour for thickening, and ensure all ingredients are certified gluten-free.
• White Wine Variation: Swap red wine with dry white wine for a lighter, more delicate flavor profile, using chicken or vegetable stock for depth.

What Goes Well With Delia Smith Coq Au Vin Recipe

• Savory Wine Companion: Burgundy red wine like Pinot Noir perfectly matches the Coq Au Vin's rich flavor profile, complementing the chicken's deep wine-based sauce.
• Hearty Bread Pairing: Crusty French baguette or rustic sourdough helps soak up the delicious sauce, providing a perfect textural contrast and additional flavor absorption.
• Vegetable Side Kick: Roasted root vegetables like carrots and parsnips add earthy sweetness that harmonizes with the dish's robust wine-infused character.
• Fresh Drink Match: Crisp white wine such as Chardonnay offers a light counterpoint to the heavy chicken preparation, cleansing the palate between bites.

How To Store Delia Smith Coq Au Vin Recipe

• Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days, keeping chicken and sauce together to maintain moisture and flavor.
• Transfer cooled coq au vin to freezer-safe containers, ensuring no air pockets. Freeze for 2-3 months, labeled with date.
• Place portion in microwave-safe dish, cover with damp paper towel. Heat at 50% power in 30-second intervals, stirring between each to distribute heat evenly.
• Warm gently in a covered skillet over low heat, adding splash of chicken broth or wine to prevent drying. Stir occasionally until heated through.

FAQs For Delia Smith Coq Au Vin Recipe

• What makes Coq Au Vin a traditional French dish?

Coq Au Vin originated in rural France as a peasant dish, traditionally using older roosters slow-cooked in wine to tenderize tough meat, transforming an otherwise challenging ingredient into a delicious meal.

• Why is browning the chicken so important in this recipe?

Browning creates a rich, caramelized exterior that develops deep flavor compounds through the Maillard reaction, which adds complexity and depth to the final sauce.

• Can I use different types of wine for Coq Au Vin?

While classic recipes use red Burgundy wine, you can successfully substitute with Pinot Noir, Côtes du Rhône, or other medium-bodied red wines that provide good acidity and flavor profile.

Coq Au Vin Recipe

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4.7 from 19 reviews

• Total Time: 75 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

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Description

Hearty French classic Coq au Vin elevates humble chicken into a rich, wine-braised masterpiece with deep layers of flavor. Tender meat nestled in robust sauce promises a comforting culinary journey you’ll savor with each memorable bite.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Meat and Poultry:

• 1 (5 pounds / 2.25 kilograms) chicken, cut into 8 joints
• 8 ounces (225 grams) unsmoked streaky bacon

Vegetables and Aromatics:

• 16 button onions
• 8 ounces (225 grams) small dark-gilled mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves

Liquids, Seasonings, and Extras:

• 1.14 pints (725 milliliters) red wine
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 ounce (25 grams) butter
• 1 rounded tablespoon softened butter
• 1 level tablespoon plain flour
• Salt
• Freshly milled black pepper
• Chopped parsley (optional)

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Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet with a blend of butter and oil, carefully searing chicken pieces until golden brown and crispy on all sides, working methodically in small batches to ensure even coloration.
2. Transfer beautifully browned chicken to a spacious cooking vessel, maintaining the delectable pan remnants for additional flavor development.
3. In the same skillet, render bacon until crisp and caramelize pearl onions, infusing them with rich, deep flavors before transferring to the waiting cooking pot.
4. Generously season the chicken and accompanying ingredients with fragrant herbs, minced garlic, cracked black pepper, and aromatic bay leaves.
5. Cascade a robust red wine over the ingredients, allowing the liquid to envelop the chicken and vegetables completely.
6. Simmer the ensemble gently, covered, at a low temperature for approximately 45-50 minutes, enabling the flavors to meld and the chicken to become remarkably tender.
7. During the final 15 minutes of cooking, introduce fresh mushrooms, which will absorb the surrounding wine-infused essence.
8. Carefully extract the solids from the cooking liquid, keeping the chicken and vegetables warm and inviting.
9. Rapidly boil the remaining liquid, reducing its volume by one-third to concentrate the intricate flavor profile.
10. Create a silky thickening agent by whisking together butter and flour, then incorporate into the reduced sauce to achieve a luxurious consistency.
11. Lavishly pour the enhanced sauce over the waiting chicken, ensuring complete coverage.
12. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley for a vibrant finish and serve immediately.

Notes

• Prevent overcrowding when browning chicken to ensure crispy, evenly colored exterior that locks in moisture and develops rich flavor.
• Select a robust red wine like Burgundy or Pinot Noir for authentic French taste and deeper complexity in the sauce.
• Keep chicken pieces similar in size for consistent cooking, helping each joint reach perfect tenderness without some parts becoming dry.
• For lighter version, swap butter with olive oil and use skinless chicken breasts to reduce overall fat content while maintaining classic French taste profile.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Simmering
• Cuisine: French

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 8
• Calories: 271 kcal
• Sugar: 2 g
• Sodium: 215 mg
• Fat: 14 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
• Trans Fat: 0.1 g
• Carbohydrates: 6 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 29 g
• Cholesterol: 95 mg