Julia Child’s Coq Au Vin Recipe

Step by step instructions for Julia Child’s Coq Au Vin recipe with stewed chicken in a rich buttery red wine sauce with sauteed mushrooms and pearl onions.

Update: This recipe has since been updated for ease from Julia’s original recipe. A few changes have been to saute bacon instead of boiling and to combine the mushrooms and onions, instead of cooking separately. The results are still fantastic.

Introducing the third week of the Julia Child celebration and this week is featuring Julia’s classic chicken with red wine and mushrooms, or commonly known as, coq au vin as well as chicken bourguignon.

And I have to be brutally honest with you, when I first read the recipe, I was reluctant to make this traditional coq au vin recipe. This is a heavy dish encasing red wine, meat and butter. These last few days have been bright and sunny and truthfully the last thing I wanted to make was a warm stewed dish over a hot stove.

But seriously…how could I resist? Succulent fall of the bone chicken. A glorious wine sauce created from the slow cooked flavors of pork, Chianti and chicken. This coq au vin Julia Child dish hit every good spot in my body and I salivate thinking about it now.

I also want to mention that there was a slight difference in the cooking technique between 2 of Julia’s books, which I found interesting. In “The Way to Cook”, Julia works off her Mastering recipe in a way and offers plum tomatoes to the chicken ragout. However, in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, a small amount of tomato paste is added to ensure a thick coated sauce, which is exactly what I was looking for.

Julia Child’s Coq Au Vin recipe is worth the wait!

Now, coq au vin is not a quick one and shouldn’t have to be. Make sure you take the time to understand all the steps before you handle them. All the elements are intended for special reason and trust me when I say you will pry yourself from slabbing your tongue across the bottom of the bowl when its done.

So take the time and let this glorious coq au vin recipe slow braise and stew together. It’s worth the wait.

How to make Coq Au Vin Recipe

Method:

1) Begin the coq au vin recipe by heating a dutch oven on medium-high heat and sauteing the bacon in hot butter slowly until lightly browned. Then remove bacon and set aside.

2) Dry chicken and season with salt and pepper. Sear chicken,skin side down in the reserved bacon fat until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, then brown on other side for another 2 minutes. Once done, remove and set aside.

3) In the same pot, add chopped garlic and herbs and stir through. Then add tomato paste and stir everything together.

4) Add chicken back into the pot along with the bacon and pour in wine and chicken stock. The liquid should just cover the chicken but not be submerged. Place lid on pot, leaving a small opening and bring to a boil, then down to a simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce has slightly reduced.

5) While the coq au vin is cooking, prepare the onions and mushroom. In a wide skillet, add butter and oil over medium heat along with the pearl onions, mushrooms and herbs. Pour in red wine and saute for about 10 minutes, until mushrooms begin to soften and wine reduces.

6) Now to make the thickening agent, the “beurre manie”. In a small bowl, blend together the flour and butter to form a paste.  Add  some of the liquid to the paste and whisk together, then add back into the coq au vin.

7) Add the onions, mushrooms  and bay leaf to the casserole and baste with the sauce. Before serving, bring to a slow simmer so everything is heated through. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Looking for other French inspired recipes? I have a whole category of French recipes, including Julia Child’s cheese souffle and my other favorite red wine recipe, Boeuf Bourguignon.