Coq au Vin with Creamy Mashed Potatoes

A classic French bistro dish featuring chicken braised in red wine with crispy bacon, mushrooms, and pearl onions, served alongside velvety mashed potatoes and vibrant green beans for a complete and satisfying meal.

• Prep: 35 min
• Cook: 1 hr 45 min
• Total: 2 hr 20 min
• Servings: 5
• Cuisine: French
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $7.72/serving

Dietary

• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber

Tags

• comfort food
• savory

Ingredients

• 5 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
• 6 ounce thick-cut bacon (diced)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (medium, roughly chopped)
• 3 clove garlic (minced)
• 10 ounce cremini mushrooms (halved or quartered)
• 1.5 cup dry red wine
• 1.5 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 fresh thymes (sprigs)
• 1 bay leaf
• 12 ounce frozen pearl onions
• 2 pound russet potatoes (peeled, quartered)
• 0.5 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 pound fresh green beans (trimmed)
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Season chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. In a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot, cook the diced bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot. If needed, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot.
2. Add the seasoned chicken, skin-side down, to the hot pot. Sear until golden brown and crispy, about 5-7 minutes per side. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside.
3. Add the roughly chopped yellow onion and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in cremini mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid and begin to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Deglaze the pot with 1 1/2 cups dry red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and 1 tablespoon tomato paste. Add fresh thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
5. Return the seared chicken to the pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes. Add the frozen pearl onions and continue to simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes, or until chicken is very tender.
6. While the Coq au Vin simmers, prepare the mashed potatoes. Place peeled and quartered russet potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well.
7. Return potatoes to the warm pot. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and 3 tablespoons unsalted butter. Mash until smooth and creamy. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste. Keep warm.
8. Prepare the green beans. In a separate pan, sauté trimmed fresh green beans with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt over medium-high heat until tender-crisp, about 5-7 minutes.
9. Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs from the Coq au Vin. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining kosher salt and black pepper as needed. To serve, spoon a generous portion of Coq au Vin over creamy mashed potatoes. Garnish with reserved crispy bacon and serve with sautéed green beans.

Notes

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This dish deepens in flavor overnight.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 765
• Protein: 46.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 49.3 g
• Fat: 43.1 g
• Fiber: 8.1 g
• Sodium: 680 mg
• Saturated Fat: 20.4 g
• Sugar: 5.8 g
• Cholesterol: 178 mg