Coq Au Riesling

There is something incredibly incredible (yes, I just said that) about Coq au Vin. If you aren’t familiar with the recipe, Julia Child is mentally slapping your wrists as we speak. 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 (or just you) will be licking their plates.

I first discovered the recipe on Simply Delicious. Equally charmed by the recipe as I was by Alicia Ryder’s writing, I decided I had to give it a go. Here’s my modified version:

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 the cream
• Serve over buttered noodles, plenty of crusty bread and a side of asparagus.

Enjoy!