Coq Au Vin | Ina Garten

In 2021, I’d like to take up a notch with some of the classic recipes which seem to defy time and place. The first one is coq au vin, the iconic braised chicken in red wine. It doesn’t matter how many times you make the dish, there is always room for improvement. My foray into coq au vin begins with a David Lebovitz’s recipe in My Paris Kitchen. He thickens the sauce with chocolate, a winning approach in making a rich dark sauce. On the other hand, Ina Garten’s coq au vin video looks so easy and enticing. Her approach in braising the chicken in a low 250°F oven stirs my interest.

The universal ingredients, besides the chicken, in coq au vin are: red wine, bacon, mushrooms and pearl onions. Start with browning the bacon in a pan, set aside. Then sear the chicken pieces until golden to deep brown and set aside. (Keep in mind that the final color does not get much darker after braising.) Similarly, sweat the onions, then add carrots and garlic. Deglaze the pan with cognac, while returning bacon and chicken pieces to the pan. Add red wine and chicken stock and a few sprigs of thyme. Bring the pot to a simmer. Then transfer the covered pot of chicken to bake in a 250°F oven.

It takes me longer than the 30-40 minutes Ina outlines in the recipe. The visual clue is for the braising liquid to start bubbling somewhat energetically. Remove from the oven and finish cooking on the stovetop together with the pearl onions and the browned mushroom. Ina uses a roux (stirring butter and flour together) to thicken the sauce. This is the step I had the most trouble with since there is plenty of liquid remaining in the pot. I had to make more roux to attain the desirable consistency.

Baking in a 250°F oven works. Slow bake in the oven is easier than watching a simmering pot on the stovetop. For the most part, the chicken pieces are tender and juicy. If and when I repeat the recipe, I’d prefer to thicken the liquid right at the beginning (before baking in the oven) with tomato paste—the way Julia Child does it in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. In doing so, the sauce will thicken faster and the color will take on a redder tone than otherwise.

Print Recipe

Coq Au Vin — Ina Garten

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 4 ounces good bacon or pancetta, diced
• 1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut in 8ths
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup Cognac or good brandy
• 1/2 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy
• 1 cup good chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 10 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 pound frozen small whole onions
• 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

2

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

3

Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.

4

Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

5

Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.

Notes

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/coq-au-vin-recipe4-2011654