Coq au Vin Rosé (Print Version)

Tender chicken braised in rosé wine with cream, mushrooms, and aromatic herbs for an elegant French dish.

# Components:

→ Poultry

01 - 3.25 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks recommended)

→ Marinade & Sauce

02 - 2 cups dry rosé wine
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
07 - 7 oz cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
08 - 1 small leek, white and light green parts, sliced
09 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
10 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional, for thickening)
11 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
14 - 1 sprig fresh rosemary
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

16 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Pat chicken pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on all sides in batches, approximately 5 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to a plate.
02 - In the same pot, add onions, carrots, and leek. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add mushrooms and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
03 - Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more.
04 - Sprinkle flour over vegetables if using and stir to coat. Pour in rosé wine, scraping up browned bits from the pot bottom.
05 - Return chicken to the pot. Add bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook gently over low heat for 45 minutes until chicken is very tender.
06 - Remove herb sprigs. Stir in cream and simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened and glossy. Adjust seasoning to taste.
07 - Transfer chicken and sauce to serving plates. Garnish with fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks restaurant-worthy but comes together in an afternoon without any fussy techniques.
  • The cream softens everything into pure comfort while the rosé keeps it feeling light and refined.
  • Bone-in chicken thighs stay impossibly tender and flavorful, nothing dry or forgettable here.
02 -
  • Bone-in chicken is not negotiable here—the marrow and collagen are what make the sauce silky and the meat so tender it practically dissolves on your tongue.
  • Don't skip browning the chicken properly; that golden crust is where ninety percent of the flavor lives, and rushing it will make the whole dish taste timid.
03 -
  • Make this recipe a day ahead if you can—the flavors mellow and marry into something even more sophisticated, and you get to simply reheat and serve, which takes the pressure off.
  • If your sauce seems thin after removing the herbs, whisk a small spoonful of flour with cold butter and stir it in bit by bit while simmering; it thickens things without any graininess.
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