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Recipes
coq au vin

Coq au vin

The true spirit of French cuisine

Serves4
Preparation60 Mins
Cooking Time60 Mins

Coq au vin is a quick and easy chicken recipe to cook at home from all the family. It embodies the true spirit of French cuisine – a delicious rustic dish that gathers everyone around the table to enjoy hearty food and a good glass of red wine. Legend traces this dish as far back as Julius Caesar. The classic version of the dish calls for red wine, specifically Burgundy, but different areas of France have their own versions; for example, coq au vin jaune (Jura), coq au Riesling (Alsace), and coq au Champagne.

Ingredients Required

For the chicken

1.5 kg
organic or free range chicken, cut into 10 pieces (you could ask your butcher to do this)
1 heaped tbsp
plain flour
2 tbsp
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade

1 litre
full-bodied red wine, such as Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon
3 medium
carrots, cut into slanted slices 1 cm (½ in) thick
2
celery sticks, cut into slices 1 cm (½ inch) thick
20
baby onions, peeled but left whole
1 tsp
black peppercorns, crushed
1
bouquet garni (parsley stalks, 2 bay leaves and 6 sprigs of thyme, tied together)

For the garnish

1 tbsp
olive oil
200g
smoked streaky bacon, rind removed, diced
400g
small button mushrooms, trimmed
1 tbsp
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cooking Method

Chef tips

"If you wish, you can serve the coq au vin as it is. But should you prefer a richer, more powerful sauce, drain it through a colander and, on a high heat, boil the sauce until it has reduced by one third. It should have acquired more body and become a rich, vinous colour. Then pour the sauce back over the chicken and vegetables."

Voila!

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This recipe is adapted from the book Simple French Cookery

Raymond brings authentic French family cooking to your kitchen. In these simple-to-follow recipes, he describes the basic techniques required to create traditional French food at home. Step-by-step instructions and photography accompany every stage, from starters and soups, fish, meat and vegetable dishes, through to a selection of irresistible desserts.

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