Coq au vin
Prep time: 1 hr 20 minsTotal time: 
Coq au vin
A bold braise with chicken, red wine, bacon and a kick of brandy, this slow-cooked traditional French dish is the ultimate in comfort food
Prep time: 1 hr 20 minsTotal time: 
Nadine Brown
Nadine Brown
Ingredients
- 4 chicken legs, separated into thighs and drumsticks
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm-thick diagonal slices
- 2 celery stalks, cut into 1cm-thick diagonal slices
- 3 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 8 peppercorns
- 600ml pinot noir
- 16 small shallots
- 160g smoked bacon lardons
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 60ml brandy
- 250ml beef stock, made using ½ a stock cube
- 50g butter
- 200g button mushrooms
- crusty bread, steamed rice or mashed potatoes, to serve
Step by step
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In a deep, wide non-metallic bowl or dish, add the chicken along with the carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns. Pour over the wine, making sure everything is as submerged as possible, cover and transfer to the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, ideally overnight, and up to 24 hours. Strain the chicken, reserving the wine and reserving and separating the herbs and vegetables. Discard the garlic and peppercorns. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper and season well.
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In a deep bowl, cover the shallots with freshly boiled water and leave for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place a large casserole over a medium heat and tip in the lardons before the dish gets hot. Fry the bacon until beginning to crisp and turn golden, about 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate. Add the chicken, cooking in two batches, searing on each side for 3-4 minutes in the bacon fat until browned. Remove and transfer to the plate with the bacon.
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Add the reserved vegetables to the casserole and sauté for 5 minutes, until starting to turn golden. Add the tomato purée and cook for a further minute until darkened. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the brandy. Bring to the boil, cooking the brandy until evaporated. Add the chicken and bacon back to the casserole along with all their juices, the reserved red wine marinade and herbs, and the beef stock. Let it come to the boil, then cover and simmer on a low heat for 50 minutes.
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While the chicken cooks, drain the shallots and peel them. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and then add the shallots, sautéeing for 5 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add the mushrooms with a large pinch of salt and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes.
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Once the stew has cooked for 50 minutes, stir in the shallots and mushrooms along with any fat from the frying pan. Partially cover and simmer on a low heat for a further 10 minutes. Season to taste and serve with mashed potatoes, rice or crusty bread.
