Smoked Coq au Vin Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Smoked Coq au Vin Recipe

How to add smoked flavor to a traditional Coq au Vin. Smoke the chicken on your smoker, then build your stew with the pre-smoked chicken pieces. Adds incredible flavor to this classic French dish. Recipe adapted by Ina Garten.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Course: Entree

Cuisine: barbecue, bbq, French cuisine

Servings: servings

Author: Mary Cressler

Cost: $25

Ingredients

To Smoke the Chicken:

1 4-5 pound roaster chicken
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons salt (may need more depending on the exact size of your chicken)
1 tablespoon pepper (may need more depending on the exact size of your chicken)

For the Coq au Vin:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 slices bacon, diced
1 large carrot, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
375 mL Pinot Noir, or other dry red wine (This is the equivalent of ½ a bottle of wine. Be sure it's a wine you would drink.)
1 ½ cup chicken stock We use low sodium and then add the seasoning in as we like it.
¼ cup bourbon
10 fresh thyme sprigs (tied together with kitchen string)
½ pound frozen pearl onions
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste (roughly 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper)

Instructions

To Smoke the Chicken:

Prep - Preheat smoker to 275 degrees, using fruit wood (we use cherry). Coat the chicken in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Smoke - Place on smoker until the internal temperature of the chicken is 160 degrees (approximately 2 hours).
Quarter - Once the chicken is done, use a good sharp knife to quarter the chicken into the chicken breasts, chicken thighs, and the chicken legs. You can also add the chicken wings as well.

To make the Coq au Vin:

Sauté – In a large Dutch oven over medium heat add olive oil and cook the bacon pieces until crispy. Then remove the bacon (set aside) and most of the bacon fat (leave about 2 tablespoons) and then add the onions and carrots. Soften for about 8 minutes and then add the garlic. Continue to stir over medium heat for one minute.
Liquids – Add your liquids (wine, Bourbon, and stock) and bring to a simmer. Then place the quartered chicken pieces into the braise. Add your bundle of thyme and the pearl onions. Cover, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
Mushrooms – While the coq au vin has just started simmering, sauté mushrooms in a separate sauté pan. Once they are done add them into the braise.
Thicken – After the braise has simmered for 30 minutes, in a small bowl mash together one tablespoon butter and the flour. Mix into the stew and then add the bacon. Continue simmering the dish on the stovetop for an additional 10 minutes. It should thicken as it simmers.
Serve: Just before serving, pull out the thyme leaves wrapped in the string and season with a little salt and pepper to taste. Plate a piece of chicken in a bowl with a generous ladel of the braising liquid and veggies. Serve with toasted bread.

Notes

Tip: for portions remove chicken and cut into smaller pieces. Or could shred before putting into pot.

Mushrooms: Before cooking, remove the stems, and slice into thin strips. Sauté the mushrooms until browned while you start the simmer of the liquids then add them in.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten: Some of the ingredients were changed, and the technique differs completely.

Nutrition