Coq au Vin

Season the chicken thigh with salt and pepper.

~2 min

Cook the bacon in a pot to render its fat, remove it, then brown the chicken thigh in the same pot.

~7 min

Remove the chicken and sauté the onion, carrot, and garlic in the same pot.

~5 min

Sprinkle in the flour and cook briefly, then stir in the tomato paste.

~2 min

Why: Cooking the flour first lets the broth thicken naturally later on.

Pour in the red wine and chicken broth, bringing it to a boil while scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.

~5 min

Watch out: Skipping the browned bits on the bottom loses half the dish's savory depth — scrape thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Return the chicken and bacon to the pot, add the thyme and bay leaf, cover, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

~30 min

Add the mushrooms and simmer 10 minutes more.

~10 min

Stir in the butter for a glossy finish and adjust the seasoning.

~2 min