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What Makes This Recipe So Good
Whoever started the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series was seriously misguided. Simply put, there’s nothing like a simmering pot of braising chicken and herbs to warm the soul and tend what ails you, whether it be physical or metaphysical. Chicken soup pales in comparison.
This red wine braised chicken with rosemary and mushrooms, however, totally qualifies.
I’ve always wanted to make a classic pot of coq au vin, but I never seem to have, oh, 30 pearl onions on hand, and my usually thyme-enthusiastic palette never seems to have any sprigs in the fridge when the coq au vin-desperation hits. Instead, I whipped up a soothing pot of chicken pieces, fork-tender from the rich red-wine-and-whiskey braising liquid, earthy mushrooms arranging a play-date with salty, smoky bacon, all balanced by woodsy rosemary, elbowing you and whispering, “Hey, it’s really winter, you know? But.. you know.. in a good way.” I love it.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve the remnant braising juices over noodles, polenta, or, like I did, gnocchi. I doubt I’m the first to ever serve a pot of coq au vin-inspired braised chicken over gnocchi, but I sure as hell felt like a genius as I smothered the ridged little potato pillows in the heady sauce. I may or may not have emitted an evil laugh, throwing my head back like a maniac over the stove, as O peered in from the dining room with 9-1-1 dialed on his phone, thumb hovering over the “Send” button.
Make this! I promise insanity is not a side effect.
….or is it?
Red Wine-Braised Chicken with Rosemary and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 slices bacon chopped into about 1/2″ pieces
- 4 chicken pieces like thigh or drumstick
- 1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 whole onion sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper to taste
- ½ shallot sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup whiskey Brandy, or Cognac
- ½ bottle red wine half a bottle, you know what to do with the other half.. something cheap will work fine here, just not TOO cheap
- 3 tbsp sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 cup rich chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter room temperature, divided
- 1 ½ tablespoons flour
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms ideally shiitake, oyster, or cremini (add more if you’re a mushroom-lover!)
- pasta grains, gnocchi, or soft polenta to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon.
- Add the onions, 1/2 teaspoons salt, and freshly ground pepper, to taste, to the pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the shallot and continue to cook about 5 – 7 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned and shallots are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the whiskey (being careful to tilt pan away from your face) and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and rosemary and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is JUST not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.
- Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. If necessary, microwave for a few seconds at a time to mash well. In a medium sauté pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Hiya, I realise this post is over four years old, but I’ve just come across it and was quite keen to make it–until I noticed the ingredients and directions are for chicken divan! (also sounds delicious, but obviously is not in any way coq au vin)
I don’t suppose you might still have the recipe you used for this lying around?
Hi Vannis! Thanks so much for your patience. When we switched domains over a while back, older things got a bit mixed up 🙂 I’ve updated the recipe now. Check it out! I hope you like it – I still LOVE this dish!
You’re a genius! hehe I love that you used gnocchi, and I love that you finally made coq au vin. I almost want to eat the mushrooms. It sure would warm me up right now – I’m currently piled under blankets and still freezing in this Siberian weather. Oh and speaking of rosemary – I ate an entire bag of rosemary potato chips in Thailand and I thought of you 🙂
Whaaaaat, rosemary potato chips?! What is this madness! I wonder if they have something like that in France.. I think I was the only person at FranPrix to ever buy the bags of chips, and the checkout people always raised one disapproving eyebrow at me when I did – ha! Europe is getting quite close.. let me know if I can send you anything you miss! And I think I’m going to devote an entire blog to conquering my friend’s food habits. I have this one friend who is definitely the pickiest eater of all time, and I’m determined to make her like certain textures and flavors. I can devote a whole section to making you like mushrooms! I mean, who wouldn’t want to read that blog…. 🙂
Lovely recipe and great comfort food to go with the freezing weather..