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Delia Smith Coq au Vin Recipe

Delia Smith Coq au Vin Recipe

Delia Smith’s coq au vin braises chicken in red wine with bacon, mushrooms and baby onions. A French classic with a few tricks for a glossy, rich sauce.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 4 People
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British, French
Calories: 610
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 chicken thighs and drumsticks skin on, bone in
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 150 g smoked bacon lardons
  • 12 baby onions or small shallots peeled
  • 250 g button mushrooms
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 750 ml red wine
  • 250 ml chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • A few sprigs of fresh thyme
  • Fresh parsley chopped, to finish

Method
 

  1. Boil the wine hard for about 10 minutes until reduced by a third.
  2. Season and brown the chicken, skin-side down first. Set aside.
  3. Fry the lardons until golden and set aside.
  4. Brown the baby onions, then the mushrooms, and set aside.
  5. Cook the garlic, then stir in the flour and tomato purée for 1 minute.
  6. Gradually add the reduced wine and stock, with bay and thyme.
  7. Return the chicken, skin-side up, cover and simmer gently for 35 minutes.
  8. Add the onions, mushrooms and bacon and cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes.
  9. Season, scatter with parsley and serve.

Notes

Reduce the wine first for a smoother, less sharp sauce.
Brown the chicken skin properly and keep it above the liquid while braising.
Brown the onions and mushrooms separately so they hold their shape.
Season at the end, as the bacon and reduced sauce are already salty.
Freezes well for up to 3 months.