Coq au Riesling

Coq au Riesling

A creamy Alsatian braise of chicken slowly simmered in dry Riesling with mushrooms, onions and lardons. It is the regional cousin of coq au vin, lighter in color but rich in flavor.

Prep

25 min

Cook

90 min

Total

115 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.6 kg (3½ lb) chicken pieces (legs and thighs), bone-in, skin-on; a whole 1.6 kg chicken cut into 8 pieces is traditional
• •5 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
• •2 g (½ tsp) black pepper, freshly ground
• •30 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) neutral oil
• •150 g (5 oz) lardons (thick-cut bacon), pancetta is an acceptable substitute; lardons are traditional
• •400 g (14 oz) small pearl onions, or 2 medium yellow onions sliced
• •1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• •500 ml (2 cups) dry Riesling, use an Alsatian dry Riesling; avoid late-harvest/sweet styles
• •250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock, low-sodium
• •1 piece bay leaf
• •3 sprigs fresh thyme
• •250 g (8 oz) cremini or button mushrooms, quartered if large
• •200 ml (¾ cup) crème fraîche, or heavy cream as a substitute; crème fraîche is traditional
• •15 g (¼ cup) fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Steps

1. 1 Pat the chicken pieces dry and season generously on both sides with the salt and pepper.
2. 2 Melt 15 g (1 tbsp) of the butter with the oil in a heavy Dutch oven or wide braising pan over medium heat. Add the lardons and cook 5–7 minutes, stirring, until they render their fat and turn golden. Transfer to a plate.
3. 3 Place the chicken skin-side down in the rendered fat and brown 4–5 minutes per side without moving, until deep golden. Work in batches to avoid crowding. Transfer the browned chicken to the plate with the lardons.
4. 4 Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the pearl onions (or sliced onions) and cook 6–8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized.
5. 5 Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste.
6. 6 Pour in the Riesling and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to dissolve any browned bits. Simmer 3 minutes to reduce the wine slightly and burn off the raw alcohol.
7. 7 Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Return the chicken and lardons (and any juices) to the pot. The liquid should come about two-thirds up the chicken; add a splash more stock if needed.
8. 8 Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook over low heat for 35 minutes. The chicken is safely cooked when the thickest part reads 74°C (165°F) on an instant-read thermometer and the juices run clear.
9. 9 While the chicken cooks, melt the remaining 15 g (1 tbsp) butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt, and sauté 6–8 minutes until they release their liquid and turn golden brown. Set aside.
10. 10 After 35 minutes, add the sautéed mushrooms to the pot, submerge them in the sauce, and simmer uncovered for a further 10 minutes to meld the flavors.
11. 11 Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Stir in the crème fraîche and warm through for 2–3 minutes without boiling.
12. 12 Taste and adjust seasoning. Scatter the chopped parsley over the top and serve immediately, traditionally with buttered egg noodles, boiled potatoes, or wide ribbons of pasta.