Coq au Vin is a timeless French chicken recipe that brings bold flavour and rustic comfort to the table. At Fleurieu Food and Wine, we love dishes like this because they feel both generous and elegant. Tender chicken simmers with wine, pancetta, mushrooms, shallots and garlic, creating a rich, deeply savoury meal that suits both relaxed weeknight dinners and memorable entertaining.
Traditionally, cooks use a full-bodied red wine to build depth and warmth. However, you can also choose white wine for a lighter finish that still delivers beautiful flavour. As the sauce develops, every ingredient adds character, so the final dish feels layered, hearty and truly satisfying. Serve it with creamy mash, crusty bread or buttered greens, and for an extra touch, pair it with a robust Australian red.
If you love cooking classic dishes with confidence, explore our hands-on cooking classes. You can also discover more inspiration in our recipe collection, where we share flavour-packed recipes designed for real home cooks.
Coq Au Vin
Ingredients
- 8 Thigh Fillets of Chicken lightly dusted in Flour
- 2 cloves Diced Garlic
- 15 Small Shallots
- 200 grams Button Mushroom
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 75 grams Butter
- 200 grams Pancetta Diced
- 500 mls Red Wine
- 400 mls Chicken Stock
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 sprigs Thyme
- 100 mls Cream
- 1 Egg Yolk
Instructions
- Add half the Olive Oil and Butter to the cast iron pan with your whole onions, garlic and pancetta and cook until the fat in the pancetta renders out and the onions have softened.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 3-5 minutes before removing the onions, pancetta and mushrooms from the pot.
- Add the remaining Oil and Butter to brown the chicken on both sides and then add back your other ingredients.
- Add the Wine and de-glaze your pan for a few minutes. Now add your herbs and chicken stock and lightly simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Remove the chicken, onions, mushrooms and pancetta from the pot and place aside while you reduce uncovered on the over for about 10 minutes.
- Whisk the egg yolk and cream together and then turn off the heat and whisk through your sauce.
- Add back the other ingredients and serve with some mash potato's or sides of your choice.
