Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›OPSO›Coq Au Vin Recipe

Coq Au Vin Recipe

Inspired by OPSO
Time2h
Serves4

whole baby chicken, Mavrodafni red wine sauce, pearl onions

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Ingredients

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Poultry

Wine braising liquid and sauce

Vegetables & aromatics

Mushrooms & garnish

Fats & finishing

Thickening & seasoning (for sauce finishing)

Method

Poultry

  1. 1

    Prepare chickens

    Pat the baby chickens dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper each. Spatchcock (remove backbone and press flat) or butterfly so they lay flat for even browning. Lightly dust both sides with the 1/2 cup flour, shaking off excess.

  2. 2

    Brown chickens

    In a large heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 1 tbs olive oil and 2 tbs butter. When hot and foaming, add the chickens skin-side down (work in two batches if necessary). Brown until deeply golden, 6–8 minutes per side. Transfer browned chickens to a plate and reserve drippings in the pot.

Vegetables & aromatics

  1. 3

    Sauté aromatics

    Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbs olive oil to the pot. Add carrots, celery, and shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, about 6–8 minutes. Add the smashed garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.

  2. 4

    Brown mushrooms and pearl onions

    Push vegetables to the side and add 2 tbs butter. Add mushrooms in a single layer and let them brown without stirring for 3–4 minutes, then stir and brown another 2–3 minutes. Add the peeled pearl onions and cook 3–4 minutes until they begin to color. Season the vegetable mixture with remaining 1 tsp kosher salt and remaining 1/2 tsp black pepper.

Wine braising liquid and sauce

  1. 5

    Deglaze and build braising liquid

    Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove raw flavor. Pour in the full 750 ml bottle of Mavrodafni wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and reduce by about one-third (8–12 minutes) to concentrate flavor. Add 500 ml chicken stock, brown sugar, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves; stir to combine.

  2. 6

    Return chickens to pot

    Nestle the browned chickens into the braising liquid, skin-side up. The liquid should come about two-thirds up the sides of the birds; add a little more stock or water if necessary. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and transfer to a 170°C (340°F) oven or maintain a very low simmer on the stovetop. Braise until the chickens are cooked through and tender, 35–45 minutes (internal temperature should read 75°C / 165°F at the thickest part).

  3. 7

    Finish braise

    Once cooked, remove chickens to a warm plate and tent with foil. Discard thyme stems and bay leaves. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms, pearl onions, and carrots to the plate with the chickens and keep warm. Skim excess fat from the surface of the sauce in the pot.

Thickening & finishing

  1. 8

    Reduce and enrich sauce

    Place the pot with the braising liquid over medium-high heat and reduce the liquid until it coats the back of a spoon, about 8–12 minutes. If the sauce needs a little thickening, whisk together 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tsp cold water and whisk into the simmering sauce, cooking 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the 2 tbs cold diced butter one piece at a time to mount and give the sauce a glossy finish. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

  2. 9

    Recombine and finish

    Return the chickens and vegetables to the pot briefly to warm and coat with sauce (2–3 minutes) or slice the chickens and spoon sauce over them when plating. Sprinkle chopped flat-leaf parsley over the finished dish just before serving.

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