Damian’s Coq au Vin
When living in
make Coq au Vin. The meal was excellent, though I later realized the wine I used was a Grands Crus Classés from Saint Émilion that my friend Edouard had been
saving for a special occasion. Thanks to tasty leftovers, our friendship is still intact.
You don’t need to cook with a high-priced French wine for this recipe to be a success, but you should choose a wine good enough to drink. I always select
a Pellegrini wine, and tend to enjoy a glass or two with my wife, Kathryn Pellegrini Inglin, while the dish finishes in the oven. Bon appétit!
–Damian Inglin
1/2 lb bacon
1/4 cup butter
4 chicken legs, skin on
2 cups Pellegrini red wine
2 cups chicken stock
12 shallots, peeled
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp brown sugar
1 lb button mushrooms, trimmed and washed
2 tbsp corn starch
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350°. In Dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Turn off the heat. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels; when cool, cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Return the pot to medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the bacon fat and brown chicken pieces on both sides, about 5 minutes. Add the next 8 ingredients and the bacon. Increase heat to high. When the sauce bubbles, cover the pot and bake for 30 minutes in the oven. Lower the temperature to 250° and cook for another hour. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 30 minutes.
Remove the pot from the oven and place over low heat. Remove the chicken and vegetables and set aside on a warmed platter. Discard the bay leaves.
In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with water, then add 1 cup of the sauce. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture back to the pot and cook until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables.
Serves 4
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