Julia Child's Coq au Vin Recipe

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 45 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs

4 chicken drumsticks

1 ½ cups red wine

1 cup chicken stock

Optional: ¼ cup brandy

3 strips bacon (cut into ½ inch pieces)

1 medium onion (quartered then thinly sliced)

4 medium carrots (cut into 1-inch piece)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

8 ounces mushrooms (thickly sliced)

8 ounces pearl onions (peeled)

2 tablespoons softened butter

2 tablespoons flour

Directions

Place the chicken thighs and drumsticks in a medium-sized bowl and pour the wine, chicken stock, and (if using) the brandy over the top. Prep the vegetables.

Add the bacon to a large, high-sided pan or braiser over medium-high heat. Cook until the bacon is crispy, about 8 minutes, then remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon.

Remove the chicken from the wine marinade (save the wine) and dry the chicken with paper towels. Working in 2 batches if needed, place the chicken in the pan, skin side down. Sear until it is golden on both sides (about 5 minutes on each side) and then remove the chicken. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon/chicken oil into a heatproof dish and set it aside.

Add the sliced onion and carrots to the pan and let them cook until the onion is golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and let it cook for 1 minute.

Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste until it is fragrant and begins to darken. Pour the reserved wine marinade into the pan, scraping the bottom to remove any stuck-on bits.

Nestle the chicken into the pan and sprinkle the thyme over top. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil (or use olive oil) into a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the pearl onions to the pan with the chicken and cook for 10 minutes more.

In a small bowl mix together softened butter and flour for beurre manié. Remove the chicken from the pan then add the beurre manié. Stir it into the sauce and let it thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken back into the pan and top with the cooked bacon and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little fresh thyme.

Notes

Traditionally, coq au vin is made with a Burgundy wine, like a pinot noir. I've used lighter reds like Tempranillo and Gamay Noir successfully.

Can substitute a whole chicken separated into parts for thighs and drumsticks. Two bone-in breasts can also be used in place of two thighs and two drumsticks.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 = ¼ of the recipe
• Calories: 635 kcal
• Total Fat: 34 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 194 mg
• Sodium: 487 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 26 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 10 g
• Protein: 40 g