Amelia Grace Coq au vin is one of those dishes that sounds grand and is really just a good, honest chicken stew. Chicken pieces are braised slowly in red wine with smoky bacon, baby onions and mushrooms, until the sauce is dark, glossy and deeply savoury.
It is very much a cousin of beef bourguignon, which is also on this site. The big difference is that chicken cooks far faster than beef, so you get the same rich, wine-dark flavour in well under two hours rather than three.
It is a wonderful dish for a weekend, and better still the next day.
Why Simmering the Wine First Makes a Better Sauce
This is the trick that turns a good coq au vin into a great one.
Red wine straight from the bottle can taste sharp and a little harsh, and if you simply pour it in and braise, that edge can stay in the finished sauce.
Boiling the wine for 10 minutes before it goes into the pot cooks off the raw alcohol and mellows the flavour, concentrating it at the same time. The sauce that follows is rounder, smoother and noticeably more rich.
Ingredients for Delia Smith Coq au Vin
- 8 chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on, bone in
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 150g smoked bacon lardons
- 12 baby onions or small shallots, peeled
- 250g button mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 750ml red wine (a decent Pinot Noir or Burgundy)
- 250ml chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- Fresh parsley, chopped, to finish
How to Make Delia Smith Coq au Vin — Step by Step
Step 1 — Reduce the Wine
Pour the wine into a large pan, bring to the boil and let it bubble hard for about 10 minutes, until reduced by about a third. Set aside.
Step 2 — Brown the Chicken
Pat the chicken dry and season well. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based casserole over medium-high heat and brown the chicken, skin-side down first, for 5 to 6 minutes per side. Set aside.
Step 3 — Cook the Bacon
In the same pot, fry the lardons for 4 to 5 minutes until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside with the chicken.
Step 4 — Brown the Onions and Mushrooms
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the baby onions and cook for 5 minutes until golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more, until browned. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
Step 5 — Add the Garlic, Flour and Purée
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.
Step 6 — Add the Liquid
Gradually pour in the reduced wine, scraping up any browned bits from the base of the pot. Add the stock, bay leaves and thyme, and bring to a simmer.
Step 7 — Braise the Chicken
Nestle the chicken back into the pot, skin-side up, so the skin stays above the liquid. Cover and simmer very gently for 35 minutes.
Step 8 — Add the Onions, Mushrooms and Bacon
Stir in the onions, mushrooms and bacon. Cook, uncovered, for a further 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is completely tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.
Step 9 — Finish and Serve
Remove the bay leaves and thyme stalks, taste and adjust the seasoning, and scatter with parsley.
My Top Tips for the Best Delia Smith Coq au Vin
Reduce the wine first. It takes 10 minutes and gives you a smoother, richer, less harsh sauce.
Brown the chicken properly. A deep golden skin builds the flavour of the whole dish, so do not rush it, and do it in batches if needed.
Keep the skin above the liquid. It stays tender and appetising instead of going soft and pale.
Cook the onions and mushrooms separately. Browning them first and adding them later means they keep their shape and flavour instead of dissolving.
Use a wine you would happily drink. It does not have to be expensive, but a wine that tastes sharp in the glass will taste sharp in the pot.
Taste for seasoning at the very end. The bacon and the reduced sauce can both be salty, so season only once it is finished.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with creamy mashed potato or buttery new potatoes to soak up the sauce, and a pile of green beans or buttered cabbage. A baguette on the table for mopping up is traditional and very welcome.
How to Store Delia Smith Coq au Vin
In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. The flavour improves after a day or two.
At room temperature: Not suitable. Cool and refrigerate promptly after cooking.
In the freezer: Freezes well for up to 3 months. Defrost fully in the fridge and reheat gently until piping hot all the way through.
Delia Smith Coq au Vin Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Boil the wine hard for about 10 minutes until reduced by a third.
- Season and brown the chicken, skin-side down first. Set aside.
- Fry the lardons until golden and set aside.
- Brown the baby onions, then the mushrooms, and set aside.
- Cook the garlic, then stir in the flour and tomato purée for 1 minute.
- Gradually add the reduced wine and stock, with bay and thyme.
- Return the chicken, skin-side up, cover and simmer gently for 35 minutes.
- Add the onions, mushrooms and bacon and cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes.
- Season, scatter with parsley and serve.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions About Delia Smith Coq au Vin
What is the difference between coq au vin and beef bourguignon?
They are the same idea, a slow braise in red wine with bacon, mushrooms and baby onions, but coq au vin uses chicken and takes about an hour and a half, while bourguignon uses beef and takes around three hours.
Can I use chicken breast instead?
You can, but breast meat dries out in a long braise. Thighs and drumsticks stay far more tender and juicy.
Does the alcohol cook out?
A good amount of it does over the long braise, but not all of it. If you are cooking for anyone who avoids alcohol completely, use a good-quality stock with a splash of red grape juice and a dash of red wine vinegar for a similar depth.
Can I make it a day ahead?
Yes, and I would recommend it. Make it a day ahead, chill it, then reheat gently. It tastes even better on the second day.
