Editorial: Kockums JernverkPublished: 2026-11-06

Coq au vin (chicken braised in red wine)

Name: Coq au vin (chicken braised in red wine)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 40 min
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1.2 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on and bone in; 1 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 150 g smoked bacon lardons; 12 baby onions or shallots (about 300 g); 250 g button mushrooms; 20 g butter; 2 garlic cloves; 2 tbsp plain flour; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 750 ml red wine, ideally pinot noir; 4 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 bay leaves; Chopped parsley; Boiled potatoes or crusty bread, to serve

Serves 4 · 2 hours · Cast iron casserole

Coq au vin is French chicken braised in red wine with bacon, mushrooms and small onions. The enamelled cast iron casserole browns everything well and lets the wine simmer for an hour without reacting with the pot.

Coq au vin is a classic Burgundy dish of chicken thighs and drumsticks braised until tender in red wine with bacon lardons, mushrooms, small onions and thyme. It is best when the skin is browned well, the wine simmers slowly under a lid and the sauce is reduced at the end until glossy.

Coq au vin with browned chicken, button mushrooms, small onions and bacon in a dark red wine sauce in an oval cream enamelled cast iron casserole

Ingredients

Serves 4

1.2 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on and bone in
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
150 g smoked bacon lardons
12 baby onions or shallots (about 300 g)
250 g button mushrooms
20 g butter
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato purée
750 ml red wine, ideally pinot noir
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Chopped parsley
Boiled potatoes or crusty bread, to serve

Method

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Peel the onions, leaving them whole. Trim the mushrooms.
Fry the lardons in the casserole over a medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and brown them lightly all over. Lift out the bacon and onions with a slotted spoon.
Brown the chicken skin side down in the fat in two batches, 5–6 minutes each, until the skin is golden brown. Turn, brown briefly on the other side and lift out.
Fry the mushrooms in the butter until coloured, then lift them out. Cook the crushed garlic, flour and tomato purée for a minute.
Pour in the wine a little at a time, stirring and scraping up the browned bits. Return the chicken, bacon and onions, and add the thyme and bay. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a low heat for about 1 hour.
Add the mushrooms, remove the lid and let the sauce reduce for 10–15 minutes until glossy. Season with salt and pepper, scatter with parsley and serve with potatoes or bread.

Why it works

Enamel copes with a whole bottle of red wine for an hour without being affected or giving off flavours. Cast iron holds a low, even heat, so the chicken turns tender without the sauce catching, and the heavy lid fits snugly.