Coq Au Vin Recipe

Preparing a classic French dish may seem intimidating to you, but there’s really nothing to it. My version of coq au vin is made in the traditional fashion, in that I braise chicken legs in red wine, but I also add in some healthy and tasty ingredients that up the nutrition content of the dish. And what’s easier than a stew? Like my beef stew recipe, this coq au vin requires some prepping and chopping, but once you’ve done that, you can sit back and smell the goodness until it’s ready.

This gluten-free coq au vin is decadent, well-rounded and delicious. It’s the perfect dish to prepare for your family and friends. And I guarantee they will be completely satisfied and totally impressed.

What Is Coq Au Vin?

Coq au vin is a classic French stew that’s made with chicken legs, bits of bacon, mushrooms and pearl onions. The signature of the dish is the rich sauce that comes from braising the chicken in red wine; in fact, coq au vin means “rooster with wine.”

If you don’t often cook with wine, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see how much it enhances the flavor of any dish, especially a stew. As it boils down, the alcohol evaporates, and you are left with the sweet and rich flavor of the wine. I also add arrowroot starch and grass-fed butter to this stew to make the sauce thicker and creamier.

Some other additions to my version of coq au vin are nutrient-dense ingredients like kale, asparagus and carrots. And I chose to use beef bacon instead of pork bacon because I avoid eating pork, and you’re getting a better cut of meat with the beef bacon. Plus, it really adds to the depth of flavor in this stew.

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As far as seasonings go, I use a combination of sage, tarragon, garlic and herbes de Provence. Herbes de provence is a combination of dried herbs like thyme, savory, oregano, marjoram and lavender. All of these herbs are commonly used in the Provence region of France, and the combo really brings life to this coq au vin.

Nutrition Facts

One serving of coq au vin made using this recipe contains roughly the following: (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

• 432 calories
• 59 grams protein
• 16 grams fat
• 11 grams carbohydrates
• 2.6 grams fiber
• 4 grams sugar
• 6,084 IUs vitamin A (261 percent DV)
• 17 milligrams vitamin B3 (124 percent DV)
• 64 micrograms selenium (117 percent DV)
• 2.3 micrograms vitamin B12 (99 percent DV)
• 7.4 milligrams zinc (93 percent DV)
• 591 milligrams phosphorus (84 percent DV)
• 3.6 milligrams vitamin B5 (74 percent DV)
• 0.6 milligrams vitamin B2 (59 percent DV)
• 52 micrograms vitamin K (58 percent DV)
• 0.3 milligrams copper (41 percent DV)
• 603 milligrams sodium (40 percent DV)
• 0.3 milligrams vitamin B1 (30 percent DV)
• 90 milligrams magnesium (29 percent DV)
• 1,074 milligrams potassium (23 percent DV)
• 3.9 milligrams iron (22 percent DV)
• 0.3 milligrams manganese (18 percent DV)
• 11.9 milligrams vitamin C (16 percent DV)
• 46 micrograms folate (12 percent DV)
• 88 milligrams calcium (9 percent DV)
• 1.1 milligrams vitamin E (7 percent DV)

How to Make Coq Au Vin

To begin making this coq au vin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and take out a large dutch oven. Then lightly salt the chicken and set it aside until it’s time for braising.

Your first step is to fry six to eight pieces of chopped beef bacon in your dutch oven over medium heat. You want the bacon to become nice and crisp. When it’s done, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and set it aside for now.

Next, you’re going to braise the chicken. Turn the heat to medium-high and place your salted chicken skin down until it turns a golden brown. You don’t want to cook the middle yet, so when you notice color changing, reduce the heat to medium and remove the chicken. Set it aside while you add in your herbs and veggies.

Now you’ll add in 1 tablespoon sage, 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence, 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Let the herbs bloom in the heat for about a minute and then begin adding in your veggies.

You need 2 cups chopped carrots, 1 cup chopped asparagus and 1 cup quartered mushrooms.

Then add in a 12-ounce bag of pearled onions.

How good does this look so far? You’re almost there.

Your next step, and perhaps the most important step of this dish, is to add 2 cups red wine and 2 cups chicken bone broth.

Stir the ingredients in order to deglaze the pan. Then cover the stew and let it simmer on medium-low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Next, add in 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch and 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter.

Whisk in the arrowroot and butter until it’s evenly distributed.

Now it’s time to add in your kale; you need about 2 cups, chopped.

Add the chicken and bacon back into your stew.

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The last step is to cover your coq au vin and cook it in the oven for an additional 30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wow, look at that! French cooking made easy, right? I hope you enjoy every bite of your coq au vin. I think your family and friends will be impressed!