Dutch Oven Coq au Vin

By Sprig Originals ✓ · with credit

Adapted from theendlessmeal.com

Chicken thighs and drumsticks marinated in red wine, seared in bacon fat, then braised in the oven until the meat slides off the bone. The sauce is finished with a butter-and-flour paste so it clings like velvet — a classic French Sunday dinner made in one pot.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup brandy (optional)

• 3 strips thick-cut bacon or lardons, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon sea salt and black pepper, each, divided
• 1 medium onion, quartered then thinly sliced
• 4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 8 ounces mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 8 ounces pearl onions, peeled

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Put the chicken thighs and drumsticks in a bowl and pour over the red wine, chicken stock, and brandy if you're using it. Let them sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature (or up to overnight in the fridge) while you slice the onion, cut the carrots, mince the garlic, and slice the mushrooms.
2. Heat your oven to 325°F. Set a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until crisp and browned, about 8 minutes. Lift it out with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate.
3. Lift the chicken out of the marinade and save every drop of that liquid. Pat the pieces very dry with paper towels, then season all over with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Lay them skin side down in the hot fat, working in two batches so they aren't crowded, and sear until deep golden on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes total. Move the chicken to a plate. Pour off the fat, reserving 1 tablespoon in a small bowl and leaving 2 tablespoons in the pot.
4. Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring only occasionally, until browned and no longer releasing liquid, about 8 to 10 minutes. Scoop them out and set aside with the bacon.
5. Add the reserved tablespoon of fat to the pot along with the sliced onion and carrots. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring now and then, until the onion is golden, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
6. Push the vegetables to the sides and drop the tomato paste into the centre. Let it sizzle and darken, about 1 to 2 minutes, then pour in the reserved wine marinade and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Boil hard for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot clean.
7. Nestle the chicken back in, skin side up, and scatter the thyme over the top. Cover and slide the pot into the oven for 25 minutes. Add the pearl onions, cover again, and braise another 15 minutes, until the chicken reaches 175°F at the bone and the onions are tender.
8. Move the chicken to a plate. Mash the softened butter and flour together into a smooth paste, set the pot over medium heat, and whisk the paste into the simmering sauce until it thickens and turns glossy, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper — it usually wants a generous pinch of each. Return the chicken to the pot, scatter the bacon and mushrooms over the top, and finish with a little more fresh thyme.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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