Coq au Vin Recipe

Place the seasoned chicken thighs in a large bowl. Add the wine and chicken stock, making sure that the chicken is submerged in the liquid. Marinate while you prep the vegetables or up to overnight. This step is optional but recommended!

In a large Dutch oven or pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. Do not discard the bacon grease as you will use it to brown the chicken.

Remove the chicken from the wine marinade and pat completely dry with paper towels (do not discard the wine!). Heat the pan with the bacon grease to medium high and once sizzling, add the chicken skin side down (you may need to do this in 2 batches as you don't want to crowd the pan). Flip the chicken when the skin is golden brown and it releases easily from the pan, and cook 2 more minutes on the other side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. This step renders the fat from the skin and creates a fond, or flavorful brown bits at the bottom of the pan.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. If at any time the fond on the bottom of the pan looks like it's starting to burn, add a tablespoon or so of water and scrape the bits off the bottom and resume cooking. Add the mushrooms and cook 5 minutes until the liquid has evaporated, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan, then add the garlic and carrots and cook 1 minute more.

Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook for 1 minute or so until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add the wine and chicken broth to the pot and scrape the bottom of the pan well. Add the tomato paste and Worcestershire and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the bacon and fresh pearl onions (if using frozen, add them during the last 15 minutes of cooking time). Nestle the chicken in the pot and spoon the liquid over the top. Add the bay leaf and thyme and cover. Simmer for 45-50 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thighs registers 175 degrees.

If the liquid is a bit thin, continue cooking for a few minutes longer with the lid off to reduce the sauce to the desired consistency. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig and adjust the seasoning as needed. Enjoy!