From The GG Archives: Coq Au Riesling

Freezing temps call for comfort food. And this might be about as comforting as they come. I originally posted this recipe about a year ago, but just recently made it again with my friend Liz. I had to pull it out of the GG archives to share with those who hadn’t seen it! It was even better than I remembered. It’s impressive enough for dinner guests, but easy enough for a Sunday night meal. Yes, you really really need to make it this weekend.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…Coq Au Riesling.

There is something incredibly incredible (yes, I just said that) about Coq au Vin. If you aren’t familiar with this classic, French dish, Julia Child would slap your wrists. As classic as they come, this rustic French recipe comprised of chicken, red wine, bacon, onions, and savory herbs will change your definition of comfort food.

But we’re not talking about Coq Au Vin today.

We’re talking about Coq Au Riesling. Same deliciousness as described above, but the traditional rich red wine is swapped for a lighter, sweeter Riesling. This, at first, might seem a bit strange cooking with a wine so sweet — but I promise, your life will be forever changed. If you’re not the type to wholeheartedly pour yourself into crafting an elaborate meal- this is absolutely the dish for you. One pan, about 15 mins of prep work- and one hour later you have this masterpiece. So easy, any girl can whip it up. So impressive, your guests will be licking their plates. (Or just you, because others might feel it’s, well, socially unacceptable. But you’re the hostess. You do what you want!)

I first discovered the recipe on Simply Delicious (p.s. I used Alida’s photos above as they are much better than mine. My photography has clearly improved since the first time I posted this…) Equally charmed by the recipe as I was by her writing, I decided I had to give it a go. Here’s my modified version — I was only cook it for two, but you can easily double the recipe!

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs
1/4 stick butter
Splash of olive oil, for browning chicken
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
4 slices of bacon (or pancetta)
6 oz sliced button or baby bella mushrooms
1.5 cups dry Riesling
1/5 cup cream
3 sprigs Thyme
Chopped parsley, for serving
Serve over buttered noodles (we actually used Spatzle and it was great)

Instructions:

In a pan, heat butter and a splash of olive oil. Add the bacon and cook for a few minutes until bacon starts to render.
Salt and pepper chicken liberally, season with some of the thyme
Brown chicken in bacon fat, ensuring both sides are nice and crispy
Remove the chicken and bacon, leaving the fat behind
Toss in the chopped onions and the mushrooms, cook until onions are translucent
Add garlic, stir until fragrant (less than a minute).
Turn burner off. Deglaze pan the the Riesling, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan
Add the bacon back in along with the rest of the thyme, bring to a boil
Reduce heat, add chicken, cover and simmer for 40 minutes
Turn off burner, salt & pepper to taste
Add in the cream
Serve over buttered noodles and plenty of crusty bread.