As a kid, my parents would reward me for good behavior by taking me to this restaurant called Le Coq Au Vin in Orlando. The best thing on the menu was, naturally, coq au vin, followed closely by a crème brulee dessert that you had to order as soon as you sat down because it took so long prepare. It felt so fancy! I still associate coq au vin with pressed linen cloths, fancy clothes and impeccable table manners.
This recipe originates from Nigel Slater’s book, Real Food. I learned about it from Alida Ryder, a successful South African author and blogger who made a mouth-watering version on her site Simply Delicious Food. I think it’s an interesting twist to use a sweet Riesling instead of a red wine. It makes the dish feel more homey and accessible to me.
I adapted it slightly because I didn’t have any mushrooms and I wanted to make a smaller portion.
- 5 chicken drumsticks
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 strips of bacon, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 cup of Riesling wine
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
Chop your onion, bacon and parsley and mince your garlic. PRO TIP: Use kitchen shears to easily cut bacon into small strips. It’s a lot faster than using a knife.
Melt butter and oil in a sauté pan.
Lightly brown your chicken drumsticks in the butter and oil on all sides…
and remove from the pan.
Add your onion, bacon and garlic to the pan.
Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The smell of this is so good!
Drain off all but about a tablespoon of the oil in the pan.
Place your chicken pieces back into the pan.
Pour in the wine and bring the mixture to a boil.
Drop the heat back down to medium, partially cover with a lid, and let cook for 25 minutes.
Remove the lid and add your heavy cream.
Let simmer on medium low for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
- 5 chicken drumsticks
- ½ onion, chopped
- 2 strips of bacon, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 cup of Riesling wine
- ½ cup of heavy cream
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- Chop your onion, bacon and parsley and mince your garlic.
- Melt butter and oil in a sauté pan.
- Lightly brown your chicken drumsticks in the butter and oil on all sides and remove from the pan.
- Add your onion, bacon and garlic to the pan and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Drain off all but about a tablespoon of the oil in the pan.
- Snuggle your chicken pieces back into the pan.
- Pour in the wine and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Drop the heat back down to medium, partially cover with a lid, and let cook for 25 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add your heavy cream.
- Let simmer on medium low for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with parsley.
- Serve.
I can’t believe you still remember this place and all it’s elegance. We loved the experience and the food. What I love about this dish it does not require a lot of ingredients. I am attracted to recipes with the least amount of ingredients. You’ve prepared soooooo many delicious dishes we cannot decide which ones to ask you to make when we visit. Just surprise us! Love the fantastic presentation!!
Ha ha ha! Thanks! I looked up the restaurant to see if they were still in business and they are! I’d love to go back some time.
Can you follow the same instructions using boneless meat?
Hi Lauren!
I would cook it for less time if using whole boneless meat like a chicken breast (about 15 minutes partially covered with a lid and then 5 minutes of simmering after adding heavy cream). If you are cutting up the boneless meat into chunks, they will cook even faster, so probably 10 minutes partially covered with a lid and 3 minutes of simmering after adding heavy cream. 🙂
This was fabulous. My husband said it was the best thing I’ve ever made 🙂 What I loved about it was that it fit into my Keto diet lifestyle. I will simmer less time next time because it wasn’t as creamy as I was hoping. Will definitely make again!!
Thank you so much for the lovely comment! Glad you enjoyed it, Chiquita! 🙂
You mentioned in your post that you left out the mushrooms. I would like to add to this dish. When should the mushrooms be added?
Hi Adriana! I would add them at the same time as adding the onion, bacon and garlic to the pan.