Though not at all traditional this weeknight coq au vin is packed full of flavor and can be on you table in just under an hour. Give this one a try and I guarantee it will be a hit with your family or friends.
It’s still pretty cold here in New Zealand at the moment and there’s something about winter that always makes me feel like there’s not as much time to do stuff as there is during those summer months. I think it’s got something to do with the fact that it gets dark a lot earlier. Therefore you kind of feel like the days over by 5 or 6pm as opposed to the summertime where it can be still light till almost 9pm. You just feel like you’ve got a lot less time to get things done. Anyway, for that reason I’m always looking for quicker ways to do things in the kitchen, especially on those busy days when you still want to make a decent meal at home. So I guess I’ve taken a couple of shortcuts here to create this easy weeknight coq au vin.
Coq au vin literally translates to rooster in wine, it’s a traditional French dish made with chicken on the bone and Burgundy. A cast iron Dutch oven or earthenware type pot is used to prepare coq au vin. Butter is melted in the base of the pot and lardoons and pearl onions are cooked until soft. The chicken is cut up into pieces is browned off. Garlic, thyme and button mushrooms are added along with a little brandy. Red wine is poured over the chicken and it is slowly cooked, covered either in the oven or on the stovetop for about 1½-2 hours.
A traditional coq au vin is a really great dish if you’ve got the time to prepare it. But if you’re a bit short of time, say on a weeknight, and you still want chicken and red wine dish that’s quick and tasty then this one’s for you. I’ve substituted the chicken pieces for chicken thigh to reduce the cooking time, and swapped out the lardoons and pearl onions for some streaky bacon and regular brown onions. The result is a pretty good dish and you can have this weeknight coq au vin on your table in a hour. Whip up a little mashed potato whilst it’s cooking and you’ll have a real winter warmer that everyone will enjoy.
If you feel like trying some other delicious chicken recipes that can be on your table in less than an hour on a weeknight try out our chicken and ginger noodle soup or this chicken and broccoli casserole with quinoa crumble.
Let us know how you get on with the recipes, we love to hear from you guys!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 rashers of free-range streaky bacon roughly cut into strips width ways
- 1 medium brown onion sliced
- 1 lb 2oz 500g free-range chicken thighs, bone and skin removed cut into six pieces (each thigh)
- 10½ oz 300g button mushrooms quartered
- salt and pepper
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 2 cups red wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 (180C). Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven on the stovetop over a medium to high heat. Add the sliced bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes, add the onion and cook for a few more minutes until soft.
- Add the free-range chicken pieces and cook whilst stirring until browned. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the 2 cups of red wine and chicken stock. Add the thyme and brown sugar, stir. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and place it inside the heated oven for 40 minutes.
- Towards the end of the cooking time heat the butter in a small saucepan over a low to medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and cook for a few minutes whilst stirring until a paste has formed. When the cooking time is up remove the Dutch oven from the oven. Remove the lid and add the butter and flour mix. Stir it constantly into the Coq Au Vin with a wooden spoon for a good 2-3 minutes until it has dissolved and the sauce has started to thicken. Allow to stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.
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