Simple and Quick Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin can be prepared in an elaborate way, but this Simply and Quick Coq au Vin also yields lovely moist chicken meat and a hearty, caramelized red wine sauce with onion and mushrooms. A worthy alternative for your next dinner, may that be Thanksgiving or a family get together.

Traditionally, Coq au Vin is prepared in an over and takes a long time to prepare. This Simple and Quick Coq au Vin not so much. It is still some work, about 1 hours and 15 minutes to 1.5 hours., but a whole lot less than the French did traditionally. My recipe also yields an extremely rich sauce and juicy chicken. The mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) in combination with the chicken is cooked in the red wine and chicken stock and the flavor at the end is rich, creamy with a hint of caramel.

I love this recipe as an alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey, stuffed or otherwise prepared. Don’t get me wrong; I love turkey, but to prepare an entire turkey for Thanksgiving, when it is usually me and my husband, is way too much. Eating turkey weeks after the big turkey day, is not something I look forward to; I prefer to making something smaller. Furthermore, I am not born here, so Thanksgiving is less of an important day for me than for all the American-born. With this recipe, I at least, have a bird for dinner 🙂

It is not difficult to make; you need a little bit of time for getting the right flavor, but not too much to prepare.  Cut the bacon in strips and cook it in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. I used a combination of applewood smoked bacon and pancetta. A combination of smoky flavor and garlicy/herbal pancetta. Once crispy, drain on a kitchen towel. This is the garnish at the very end. The flavorful grease is the basis for the rest of the recipe.

Cook the chicken brown in the recipe on all sides and remove. Add onion, celery, carrots, and bay leaves and cook until soft and fragrant. Add tomato paste and red wine and cook until reduced to half. This takes about 10-15 minutes.

Return chicken to the pan, and add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for approx. 45 minutes or until chicken is done. Turn chicken about half way into the simmer time.Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. Make sure the chicken is done. The very first time I prepared this, I totally underestimated the cooking time of the chicken and that night we were eating very late.

Heat oil in a skillet and cook mushrooms and chunky onions until golden and translucent. Remove from heat. At the same time, boil the red wine sauce until reduced by half, add mushrooms and onions and return chicken. Simmer an additional 5 minutes until everything is heated. Serve this Simple and Quick Coq au Vin and sprinkle with parsley and the bacon and pancetta strips.

This rich dish fills your kitchen with great aroma and it will fill your stomach too. I love to serve this with a creamy mashed potatoes. Creamy potatoes match the hearty chicken and red wine sauce very well.

Print Recipe

Simple and Quick Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin can be prepared in an elaborate way, but this Simply and Quick Coq au Vin also yields lovely moist chicken meat and a hearty, caramelized red wine sauce with onion and mushrooms. A worthy alternative for your next dinner, may that be Thanksgiving or a family get together.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Chicken and Turkey

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 slice bacon applewood smoked
• 4 slices pancetta
• 2 chicken drumsticks with skin
• 2 chicken thighs with skin
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme fresh, chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 bottle red wine approx. 375 ml
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 ounces mushrooms quartered
• 4 ounces onion chopped in chunks
• parsley finely chopped

Instructions

• Cut the bacon and the pancetta in strips and cook the in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon and pancetta from the pan and allow to drain on a kitchen towel.
• Rub chicken with salt and pepper and add to the bacon grease. Cook until all sides are brown. Remove chicken.
• Add onion, celery, carrots, and bay leaves and cook until soft and fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook until mixed. Add wine and cook until reduced to half, approx. 10 minutes.
• Return chicken to the pan, and add chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for approx. 45 minutes or until chicken is done. Turn chicken about half way into the simmer time. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
• Heat the oil in a skillet and cook mushrooms and chunky onions until golden and translucent. Remove from heat.
• Heat the red wine sauce until reduced by half, add mushrooms and onions and return chicken. Simmer an additional 5 minutes until everything is heated. Serve and sprinkle with parsley and the bacon and pancetta strips.