A beloved classic that seems to have disappeared. Maybe I am living under a rock but it's been a minute since I have seen a coq au vin on a menu or on a plate in front of me. The first time I made this dish I was blown away by the complexity of flavors. This is definitely one of those layered dishes that feels comforting to the soul.
I have used a half chicken in this recipe but you can really use any cut of chicken you prefer. Be mindful of cooking times if you change it up. Given that chicken in this dish goes from pan to pan and then cooks while your sauce reduces, you want to make sure it does not dry out or become too chewy. A cut with dark meat will be more forgiving.
Coq au Vin with Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes
- 4-6 slices of bacon, chopped
- 4 tablespoons oil, divided
- Salt and pepper
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sweet potato, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ - 2 pound half chicken
- 2 cups of red wine
- 2 cups of chicken broth (homemade with our backs and feet -OR- from Simmering Bone)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 thyme sprigs
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 4 large potatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, whole
- 8 tablespoons browned butter (or use Ghee to avoid rapid burning and promote bone, digestive and heart health!)
- 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- ¾ cup cream (or raw milk…another shameless plug for you to join Larson Farm’s raw milk CSA here)
- Cut your potatoes and add to a pot of cold water along with whole garlic cloves. Set that on the stove to boil.
- Preheat your oven to 375°. Grab a cast iron pan and add a drizzle of oil and turn the stove to med-high heat. Season your chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Sear on each side for 6-7 minutes or until browned, be sure to use tongs to get the edges of the half as well.
- Once the chicken has been browned on both sides, pop it in the oven for 25 minutes or so. Meanwhile, check in on your potatoes and remove from heat when fork tender. Drain the potatoes.
- Next, cook the chopped bacon in a large skillet on med-high heat until crispy. Remove cooked bacon and add a drizzle of oil, if needed. Saute onion, garlic, carrot and sweet potato. Stir often and cook until soft, approx 5-8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and scooch the veggies to the side of the plan.
- Once the half chicken's internal temp has reached about 150°, you can remove it from the oven (it will continue to cook and you will be heating it in a pan). Place the half in the pan with your cooked vegetables. Slowly pour in the red wine and chicken broth. Add the bay leaves, thyme and salt and pepper. Gently stir to combine everything and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium to simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce reduces by ⅓.
- While your sauce is reducing, mash your potatoes and put back on the stove on low heat. Stir your mash and add the cream and salt. Then add the browned butter and sage, remove from heat.
- Plate with potatoes in the bottom of a bowl, drowned in unctuous sauce and topped with chicken and veggies. Don’t forget to remove your thyme twigs and bay leaves.
