Coq au Vin

This recipe is from The Delia Collection: Chicken.

A truly authentic coq au vin is made, obviously, with a cock bird, and some of the blood goes into the sauce which, by the time it reaches the table, is a rich, almost black colour.

In Britain we make a less authentic adaptation, but it makes a splendid dinner-party dish. The results are different but every bit as delicious if you use cider instead of wine, but it must be dry cider. I also like to give this dish half its cooking time the day before, let it cool, then refrigerate and give it the other half of the cooking time before serving. At the half-cooked stage, turn the chicken pieces over so that they can absorb all the lovely flavours overnight.

The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch how to chop onions in our video, press the recipe image to play

Got a question on Delia's recipes? Ask Lindsey

Ask a Question

Some questions about Coq au Vin

Asked by: Ruth

I have a few questions about bulk cooking: 1. Can you freezer coq au vin? 2. I am making this for 30 people so wondered if I could make it batches then reheat once thawed? 3. How long and what temp for reheating should I use? 4. Could this recipe be cooked in a slow cooker 5. Can stock be substituted for some of the red wine? Many thanks.

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, Yes, you can freeze coq and vin for up to 3 months. Yes, you could make it in batches. Defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat at 180C (160 fan) in an ovenproof dish, covered in foil for about 35 minutes. I’m sure you could use a slow cooker and follow the guidelines from a similar recipe. Yes, you can use stock to replace some of the wine. Best wishes Lindsey

What to have with Coq au Vin

Asked by: Simon01

Hi Lindsey I'm hoping to cook Delia's Coq Au Vin over the holiday. What vegetables would you recommend? I thought potatoes in cream and red cabbage! Many thanks. Eileen

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, Yes that sounds good. Or we sometimes up the shallots and mushrooms and serve with buttered pasta, celeriac mash or a swede and potato mash. Best wishes Lindsey

About the Coq Au Vin

Asked by: Simon01

Hi Lindsey. I want to make Delia's Coq au Vin this weekend but one of the party does not eat anything containing alcohol, cooked or othetrwise. Can I make the dish with just a good chicken stock or would it be better to just cook a small portion without alcohol and the rest following the recipe so the other foodies in the party don't miss out? What veg wou you recommend serving? Many thanks. Eileen

Answered by Lindsey: Hello Eileen, I would definitely make one portion without alcohol. I’d choose something green to go with it… tenderstem broccoli, sugar snap peas, green beans. Best wishes Lindsey

Method

Melt the butter with the oil in a frying pan, and fry the chicken joints, skin side down, until they are nicely golden; then turn them and colour the other side.

You may have to do this in three or four batches – don't overcrowd the pan. Remove the joints from the pan with a draining spoon, and place them in the cooking pot. This should be large enough for the joints to be arranged in one layer yet deep enough so that they can be completely covered with liquid later.

Now de-rind and cut the bacon into fairly small cubes, brown them also in the frying pan and add them to the chicken, then finally brown the onions a little and add them too. Next place the crushed cloves of garlic and the sprigs of thyme among the chicken pieces, season with freshly milled pepper and just a little salt, and pop in a couple of bay leaves.

Pour in the wine, put a lid on the pot and simmer gently for 45-60 minutes or until the chicken is tender. During the last 15 minutes of the cooking, add the mushrooms and stir them into the liquid. Remove the chicken, bacon, onions and mushrooms and place them on a warmed serving dish and keep warm. (Discard the bay leaves and thyme at this stage.) Now bring the liquid to a fast boil and reduce it by about one third.

Next, add the butter and flour paste to the liquid. Bring it to the boil, whisking all the time until the sauce has thickened, then serve the chicken with the sauce poured over. If you like, sprinkle some chopped parsley over the chicken and make it look pretty.