Coq au Vin Rosé (Print)

Tender chicken braised in rosé wine with cream, mushrooms, and fresh herbs. A lighter French classic.

# Components:

→ Poultry

01 - 3.25 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks recommended)

→ Marinade & Sauce

02 - 2 cups dry rosé wine
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
07 - 7 oz cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
08 - 1 small leek, white and light green parts, sliced
09 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
10 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional, for thickening)
11 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
14 - 1 sprig fresh rosemary
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Method:

01 - Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown chicken pieces in batches, approximately 5 minutes per batch, until golden on all sides. Transfer browned chicken to a plate.
03 - In the same pot, add chopped onions, carrots, and leek. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add quartered mushrooms and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly to incorporate.
05 - Sprinkle flour over vegetables if using, and stir thoroughly to coat and prevent lumps.
06 - Pour rosé wine into the pot, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Return chicken to the pot. Add bay leaf, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprig.
07 - Bring mixture to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 45 minutes until chicken is very tender and cooked through.
08 - Remove herb sprigs. Stir in heavy cream and simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes until sauce reaches a slightly thickened, glossy consistency. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
09 - Divide chicken and sauce among serving bowls. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been cooking for hours, but you'll actually be done in 90 minutes.
  • The rosé wine gives you all the elegance of the traditional version without the heaviness, so you won't feel weighed down after dinner.
  • Bone-in chicken thighs stay impossibly tender and flavorful, unlike breast meat which can dry out if you blink.
02 -
  • Don't rush the browning step, because that caramelized exterior on the chicken is where half the flavor comes from, and you can't recreate it later.
  • The cream needs to go in after the chicken is already tender, not before, or you'll end up with a grainy, broken sauce that never quite recovers.
03 -
  • If your sauce seems too thin at the end, mix a tablespoon of butter with a tablespoon of flour to make a paste, then whisk it in and simmer for a minute or two until glossy.
  • Bone-in thighs are more forgiving than breasts, so if you accidentally cook it a few minutes longer, the meat stays succulent instead of drying out.
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