Julia Child Coq Au Vin Recipe

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 45 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs

4 chicken drumsticks

1 ½ cups red wine

1 cup chicken stock

Optional: ¼ cup brandy

3 strips thick-cut bacon or lardons (cut into ½ inch pieces)

1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper (divided)

1 medium onion (quartered then thinly sliced)

4 medium carrots (cut into 1-inch piece)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

8 ounces mushrooms (thickly sliced)

8 ounces pearl onions (peeled)

Beurre manie (see notes for the options)

Directions

Marinate chicken

Place the chicken thighs and drumsticks in a medium-sized bowl and pour the wine, chicken stock, and (if using) the brandy over the top. Prep the vegetables.

Cook bacon

Add the bacon to a large, high-sided pan or braiser over medium-high heat. Cook until the bacon is crispy, about 8 minutes, then remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon.

remove from marinade

Remove the chicken from the wine marinade (save the wine) and dry the chicken well with paper towels. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper.

sear chicken

Working in 2 batches if needed, place the chicken in the pan, skin side down. Sear until golden on both sides (about 8-10 minutes total), then remove the chicken. Remove all but two tablespoons of the bacon/chicken oil from the pan - reserving the oil to use later in the recipe.

Saute onion

Add the sliced onion and carrots to the pan and let them cook until the onion is golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and let it cook for 1 minute.

Add tomato paste

Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste until it is fragrant and begins to darken. Pour in the reserved wine marinade, add the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper, and bring it to a boil for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom to remove any stuck-on bits.

Simmer chicken

Nestle the chicken into the pan and sprinkle the thyme over top. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Cook mushrooms

Pour 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil (or use olive oil) into a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until brown, about 10 minutes.

add pearl onions

Add the pearl onions to the pan with the chicken and cook for 10 minutes.

make beurre manie

In a small bowl, mix your choice of beurre manie - see notes for the options. Remove the chicken from the pan, add the beurre manie, and stir until the sauce thickens. (You can leave the chicken in the pan if you prefer, but I find it is easier if I remove it.) Season to taste with salt and pepper - I often add an extra teaspoon of each.

serve

Add the chicken back into the pan and top with the cooked bacon and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little fresh thyme.

Last step:

After you make this recipe, take a picture with your phone and share it in the comments section below. I love seeing it when you make my recipes!

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 = ¼ of the recipe
• Calories: 635 kcal
• Total Fat: 34 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 194 mg
• Sodium: 487 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 26 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 10 g
• Protein: 40 g