Traditional Coq au Vin Recipe

Welcome back to the Velvet Runway and to the fourth of our traditional French Recipes, the famous Traditional Coq au Vin (pronounced Kok Oh Van),Recipe. 

Coq au Vin is a classic French dish that translates to “rooster in wine.” It’s a rich, flavorful stew where chicken is braised slowly in red wine, traditionally Burgundy, along with mushrooms, lardons (small strips or cubes of pork fat), and garlic.

It has its roots deeply embedded in French culinary tradition. The dish is believed to date back to ancient Gaul and was a way to tenderize tough old roosters. The recipe evolved over centuries, with regional variations emerging based on local wine and ingredients.

Just like the traditional bœuf bourguignon, it originated in the Burgundy region, famous for its wines. However, variations of the dish can be found throughout France, including Coq au Vin Alsacien (with Riesling) and Coq au Vin Jaune (with Jura wine).

Traditionally, coq au vin is prepared with wine from the Burgundy region of France, such as pinot noir and charolais, but if you can’t get your hands on one of these, go for a good dry, fruity red wine (although don’t use a really good wine, that would be a waste!)

Everyone has their own way of cooking the dish, sometimes adding mushrooms or lard, and sometimes even brandy, but the base is always a chopped up chicken, garlic, onions, a bouquet garni of bay leaves, thyme, sage and parsley and, of course, red wine!

Fun Fact: The recipe for Coq au Vin was made famous by Julia Child in her cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”

Coq au Vin is a true classic of French cuisine, and while it can now be found in restaurants all over the world and is served by Michelin-starred chefs, it’s still a simple, hearty stew, and a great way to get the whole family together for Sunday lunch.

Traditional Coq au Vin Recipe

Insider Tip: While Coq au Vin is not especially difficult to cook, it does involve a few steps, time to marinade and the dish takes a long time to cook. So, plan this recipe for when you have a bit of time to prepare it, and remember that the longer it’s left to simmer over a low heat, with periods of rest, the better it will be.

Here’s a traditional recipe for Coq au Vin (serves 4 people)

Ingredients for Traditional Coq au Vin

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (A whole cut-up chicken is traditional in coq au vin. However, you can use only chicken thighs, legs or breasts if you prefer a particular part.)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 cups red wine (preferably Burgundy)
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons brandy (optional)
• 4 ounces lardons or thick-cut bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaves, and parsley tied together)
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, quartered (Brown mushrooms are best and add a rustic French touch, but white button mushrooms are also fine).
• 20 pearl onions, peeled (if you can’t find pearl onions, shallots are fine too).
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Method

Instructions:

Prepare the meat: 

• If you’ve bought fresh pork lard, cut it into small pieces of about 1 cm (to make lardons).
• Cut the chicken into about 8-10 large pieces.

Marinade the chicken

• Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
• Place them in a large bowl and pour over the red wine and brandy.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Prepare the vegetables:

• Wash, peel and cut the carrots into 1 cm slices.
• Peel and chop the onion. 
• Wash the mushrooms and cut off the stems. 
• Chop the garlic cloves.

Cook the meat: 

• Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Reserve the red wine marinade.
• Heat a bit of olive oil in a casserole dish (preferably cast iron) and cook the lardons or bacon over a high heat. Set aside. 
• Brown the chicken pieces on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Cook the vegetables: 

• In the same dish as you cooked the meat, cook the onions and carrots until lightly browned.
• Add the chopped garlic and sauté for a further minute.

Assemble everything in the casserole dish:

• Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.
• Stir in the tomato paste, then pour in the reserved red wine marinade, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Return the chicken and lardons/bacon to the pot.
• Add the chicken stock and bouquet garni.

• Bring to the boil before reducing the heat and letting the dish simmer on a low heat for about 2 hours, until the chicken is tender. 

Note: on a stovetop, you can leave the dish on a low heat for up to 3 hours, checking periodically that it doesn’t dry out or stick to the bottom of the casserole dish. The same applies if you cook the dish in the oven (160°C).  In a slow cooker, you can leave it on for up to 8-9 hours on a low heat. 

Prepare the Mushrooms and Pearl Onions:

• In a separate skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
• Add the mushrooms and pearl onions, cooking until they are browned and tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add them to the pot in the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Season and serve: 

• Remove the bouquet garni.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste. 
• Garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot, ideally with crusty French bread, new or mashed potatoes, or traditional French Aligote, and a good bottle of Burgundy wine. 

Final Thoughts on our Traditional Coq au Vin Recipe

Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a home cook, preparing Coq au Vin is a rewarding experience that brings a taste of France to your table.

 As with most stews, coq au vin is even better reheated the next day, and it freezes well, too

I hope you enjoyed this feature with our ‘Traditional Coq au Vin Recipe´. I will be back soon with more style, lifestyle and travel inspiration and don’t forget to subscribe to make sure you never miss a post,

 

Bon appétit!