Coq au Vin

Perhaps the perfect holiday meal

Coming to you all this week with a rare Tuesday post, as it’s Christmas Eve Eve, and to share inspiration for those who still don’t know what to make for dinner tomorrow/the next few days. I always crave Coq au Vin around the holidays. It’s a cozy but elevated stew that reminds me of my mom and the way she likes to cook (with lots of booze). Surely the wine and brandy add to the overall festiveness of the dish, but the crème fraîche/potatoes/chive is a cemented holiday flavor profile. This is also great for dinner parties because it’s easy to make in bulk (just double the recipe) and fairly inexpensive (would you believe me if I told you the entire shopping list could be knocked out at Trader Joe’s?). This recipe is brought to you by my mom’s Parisian friend and Pasadena’s own, Julia Child.

COQ AU VIN (SERVES 2-3)

• 3 strips of uncured bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

• 1 1/2 LB boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 2 TBSP brandy or Cognac

• 1/2 large yellow onion, cut into 1 inch pieces

• 3 large carrots, skinned and cut into 2 inch pieces

• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

• 1/2 TBSP tomato paste

• 1 1/2 cup pinot noir or Burgundy wine

• 1 1/2 cup chicken bone broth¹

• 1 1/2 cup crimini mushrooms, quartered (stems trimmed)

• 2 dried bay leaves

• 3 sprigs of thyme

• 1/2 TSP salt

• 1/2 TSP pepper

• 1/2 TSP sugar

• 2 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 TBSP AP flour

• 1 TBSP red wine vinegar

• 1 LB baby dutch potatoes, halved

• 2-3 TBSP crème fraîche

• 2 tablespoons chive, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

In a large dutch oven, cook the bacon on medium-low heat. You want to render out as much fat as possible (about 10 min).

Meanwhile, place your chicken thighs on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and salt both sides.

Once the bacon is crisped, remove and set aside. There should be a substantial amount of fat rendered.

Turn the heat up to medium-high and brown the chicken thighs in the bacon fat (about 4 minutes on each side).

Once the chicken has been browned on both sides, add the brandy and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Add the onion, carrot, garlic and tomato paste. Stir to combine and let the tomato paste caramelize (about 2 minutes).²

Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pot again.

Add the bone broth, mushrooms, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper and sugar.

Bring to a boil and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to simmer.

Cook for about 1 hour, until the chicken is tender.

THE BEURRE MANIÉ: In a small bowl, mix together butter and flour until homogenous.³

Ladle about 1/2 cup of the simmering liquid into the beurre manié to create a slurry.

Add this mixture and the red wine vinegar to the pot. Simmer, uncovered, while you cook the potatoes.

THE POTATOES: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.

Add the cut potatoes and cook until tender (about 10 minutes).

Transfer the boiled potatoes to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Gently fold in the crème fraîche and chive.

Serve your Coq au Vin in a shallow bowl along with your creme fraiche potatoes. Finish with crumbled bacon bits and a sprinkle of parsley.⁴

1. Regular chicken broth is also fine, but why wouldn’t you want the extra collagen?

2. You want a bit of darkness to form at the bottom of the pot.

3. This paste-like mixture will act as a thickening agent.

4. I like to reheat the bacon before serving. You could use a small frying pan, but I use my trusty panini press :)