Coq Au Vin Blanc: Chicken in White Wine

Coq au vin blanc is a French recipe of chicken in a white wine sauce, my recipe uses chicken legs, lots of bacon, mushrooms, and baby onions.

This wonderful one-pot meal takes almost 3 hours to put together, but it is very low maintenance, and you only spend around 25 minutes in the kitchen.

Chicken in White Wine Sauce without Cream

French food is synonymous with fancy food, wee portions, and that whole “cordon bleu” thing. But classic French food is comfort food heaven.

Stuffed full of hearty and wonderful stews and casseroles, even the name casserole is French in origin.

Dishes like beef bourguignon, chicken chasseur and cassoulet are heavyweights in the world of comfort food. Even the quite fancy sounding chicken en croute is relatively simple and properly comforting.

Coq au vin is also right up there, but coq au vin blanc is a traditional variant.

Drop the name into Google Translate and you will note the name does what it says on the tin, chicken with white wine.

My version adds classic flavourings like bacon, onions and mushrooms.

The whole baby potatoes are not quite so “trad”, but I think that it makes a wonderful addition and turns this into a great one-pot meal.

I choose to use just chicken legs as it makes this dish a perfect meal for two people. Let’s face it they also taste awesome, I take the same approach with my basque chicken and dijon chicken recipes!

Some people add cream to their sauce. But it really adds nothing as far as I am concerned, and it certainly is not traditional, so I go with no cream!

Frequently Asked Questions

What wine should I use?

Sauvignon blanc or Chardonnay wines are both good white wines to use in this recipe. However, I typically use a Riesling, a white wine from Germany with a lovely acidity and some floral notes.

Most importantly, you should look for a dry white wine and avoid anything sweet or semi-sweet.

Can I cook this in a slow cooker?

Yes, this works really well in a slow cooker. Follow all of the instructions for sauteing ingredients and transfer to your crockpot.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours, adding the browned baby onions and mushrooms for the final 30 minutes.

Can I use chicken breasts?

I usually avoid chicken breasts for this dish. Traditionally, it would have been made with the whole bird, breasts included, but that would have used a broiler bird.

Modern chooks have a far lower fat level, and because of this, the breasts can dry out. As a result, if you are using chicken breasts, only cook them for half to a third of the time you cook the legs for.

Can I make this for more people?

Yup, you can scale this recipe up really well, and it takes no additional cooking time other than for preparation and sauteing.

Serving Suggestions

I have structured this coq au vin blanc recipe to be a one-pot meal. The only thing that you need to add is some bread to mop up that wonderful white wine sauce.

I would go with a crunchy French stick, usually, although this French country loaf would be wonderful too.

A great side with coq au vin is a mash. Now I already have potatoes, but if you want to serve with mash, you can just omit the spuds.

The obvious mash to add is a buttery mashed potato.

But I would urge you to try either a celeriac mash or swede and carrot mash. Both are a much better match for this chicken in white wine sauce recipe.

Equipment Used

I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/Stovetop.
• 20cm or 8″ casserole pan or Dutch oven with a lid.
• Kicthen tongs, stirring and serving spoons.
• Oven.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.

Coq Au Vin Blanc Step-by-Step Photos

1. Heat a casserole pan over medium heat, once hot, add the oil and half the butter, then brown the seasoned chicken on all sides, set aside.
   
2. Add the diced onion and sliced bacon to the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
3. Add the garlic and potatoes to the pan, cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
   
4. Turn the heat up to high, add the white wine, and then reduce it by half.
   
5. Pour in the chicken stock, stir and throw in the thyme and bay leaf.
   
6. Return the chicken to the pan, add a lid and cook in the oven at 150°C or 300°F for 2 hours.
   
7. 30 or so minutes from the end of the chicken cooking, prepare the shallots and mushrooms. Add the remaining butter to a frying pan and cook the shallots and mushrooms for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
8. Add the fried mushrooms and shallots to the casserole pan and stir well, ensuring most items are under the liquid. Cook uncovered at 180°C or 350°F for 20 minutes.
   
9. Serve immediately, and “mash” the garlic cloves into the sauce as you go.