Coq au Vin – Classic French Chicken Stew Recipe

Coq au Vin (French Chicken Stew)
Rich, deep, and absolutely comforting, this French bistro classic is simpler than it looks. Chicken is gently braised in red wine with mushrooms, bacon, and onions until falling-off-the-bone tender. The sauce is so good you’ll want to drink it.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes (plus marinating time)
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Special Equipment: Large ovenproof pot or Dutch oven

This Coq au Vin is your new favourite one-pot wonder. With minimal prep and big flavours, it’s the kind of cosy food that makes winter worth it. A little wine, a little butter, and a lot of comfort.

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 6-8 chicken drumsticks 

• ½ bottle red wine (about 375ml)

• 5 garlic cloves, smashed

• 4–5 sprigs fresh thyme

For the stew:

• 1 tbsp oil

• 150 - 200g streaky bacon or pancetta, chopped (this is up to you, if I was using bacon i would probably use 200g, but pancetta you can cut smaller and it gives a stronger taste so 150g might be enough)

• 10 mushrooms, halved or quartered

• 2 medium onions, quartered (leave the root end intact)

• 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tbsp plain flour

• 800ml chicken stock

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tbsp butter, to finish

Method

1. Marinate the chicken
Place the chicken in a bowl with the wine, garlic, and thyme. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

2. Prep your veg
Quarter the onions, leaving the root attached so they hold together. Chop the bacon and mushrooms into chunks.

3. Reduce the wine
Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Tip the wine into a small pan and reduce it over low heat while you get everything else ready.

4. Sear the chicken
In a large ovenproof pot, heat the oil over medium. Sear the marinated chicken in batches until browned all over. Set aside.

5. Cook the bacon and veg
In the same pot, add the bacon. Cook until golden and the fat has rendered, then add the mushrooms. Sauté for a few minutes until browned. If the pan is darkening too much, deglaze with a splash of water. Add the onions and cook until just golden.

6. Build the base
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute, then sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Cook this off for 1–2 minutes — it helps thicken the sauce.

7. Assemble and braise
Pour in the reduced wine, then return the chicken to the pot along with the stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and transfer to a 180°C oven (350°F) for 45–60 minutes. But to be honest anything up to 1.5hrs is fine.

8. Finish and serve
Once out of the oven, season the sauce to taste. Finish with a knob of butter to add that velvety richness. Serve with buttery mashed potatoes (or crusty bread) and plenty of the sauce.

Chef’s Tip
If using fresh pearl onions feels like a hassle, regular onions cut into quarters work beautifully. And always taste the sauce at the end before seasoning — bacon and stock can both be salty.

Enjoy 

Del x

Want a side that’s just as comforting? Try my Ultimate Buttery Mash to serve alongside this beauty. Or maybe you want to make your own chicken stock you can learn how to make it here, with chicken that may have otherwise gone in the bin Homemade Chicken Stock