Coq Au Vin

Coq Au Vin is a French term for Rooster in Wine. It’s made with chicken, red wine, a rich broth, and some hearty vegetables. Nothing complicated even though it may sound it.

Since everyone likes their broth a little different in thickness. It’s really easy to change it up. After you’ve added and heated the first cornstarch mixture, feel free to repeat step 12-13 another time or two, using 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch at a time, until the broth reaches your desired thickness. That’s it! Super simple.

In place of chicken quarters, you can use bone-in, skin-on chicken legs or chicken thighs. I recommend steering clear of any white meat for this recipe since it will usually dry out or overcook. Stick to your dark meat chicken choices.

I strongly advise against it. Remember that if you were to use chicken breasts, that they cook much faster since they’re a leaner cut of chicken than chicken quarters and they’ll provide your dish with a different texture.

Also, if you insist on using chicken breasts, you should choose bone-in chicken breasts as they would have more flavor as opposed to boneless. Just be sure to watch them cooking closely so you don’t overcook them. Use a meat thermometer to ensure they reach 165F for food safety purposes.

I used a Pinot Noir for this dish, but you can use any Burgundy, red wine with a medium or full body that you enjoy. If you enjoy drinking it then you’ll enjoy coming with it. You could also use a Chianti or Côtes du Rhône. These kinds of wine have a nice rich and bold flavor that pairs perfectly with the pop of flavor from the rest of the dish.

If you’re out of some ingredients, here are some swaps you can try:
– Fresh thyme can be substituted in place of dried thyme. But, know that they cook differently and you’ll need about 3 times as much fresh as you do dried thyme.
– You can use whole carrots that you have halved and then cut 2-3 more times. Don’t use sliced carrots or they’ll get soggy and mess up the texture of the dish.
– You can use white mushrooms instead but they are often smaller so you may want to leave them whole, depending on their size, so that they don’t overcook and get soggy. No matter what mushrooms you use, be sure to leave them in large chunks rather than slicing them thin. 
– Shallots can be used instead of pearl onions, or you can use large chunks of red, white, or yellow onions.
– You can substitute flour in a pinch for the cornstarch. But it needs longer to thicken so you may need to boil it for 3-5 minutes, which may require you to add it a little earlier so you don’t overcook your chicken.
– We’ve shared a few other swaps for this recipe in place of the wine, chicken quarters and a few other things.

You can but it wouldn’t be Coq Au Vin then. In place of the wine, you can use more chicken stock or beef stock, or a combo of the two. They’re already in the recipe, but making this without wine will leave a depth of flavor missing from your dish. If you want to try to replace what you’re missing, try adding a 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar. It won’t be the same, but it will bring more flavor that you would otherwise be missing.

Pearl onions are small, round onions that have a mild flavor and sweet taste. They are usually about the size of a large marble and can range in color from white to yellow to red. Pearl onions are often used in recipes such as beef stroganoff, braised dishes, salads, and even as appetizers. When cooked, pearl onions become tender and slightly sweet making them an ideal addition to any dish.

The grocery store has a few places that they tend to store these little things. Some stores sell fresh pearl onions and others only have them in the frozen section. If you can only find frozen, just know they are already peeled. I would also not add the frozen ones in when adding the mushrooms to the pot or they’ll fall apart. I’d add them in when I add the stock and wine to the pot (Step 8).
If you can’t find pearl onions, you can use shallots as a substitute.

This is like a meal in itself, so you don’t necessarily need side dishes to go with it. However, I like to serve a nice big green salad to round out the meal when we make this.
Additionally, I like to put it over a bed of pasta as you will see in some of the pictures.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Yes, you can freeze leftovers. Place them in a freezer safe container or bag and remove any excess air before freezing for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

You can reheat leftovers in the oven or on the stove until warmed through.