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So all you classically trained chefs out there, don’t hate me for this.
I made French Coq au Vin, but I did it the super quick way…not the traditional way which can take up to four hours. I know this is probably all wrong in so many ways and the French are most likely screaming at me right about now. But hear me out, I am not a trained chef and most of the time I am totally winging it. And since I am totally winging it, this allows me to be a little more creative….or ok, lazy.
So really, I just take a lot of short cuts.
Well whatever, all I know is it’s a really good meal and it’s made pretty quickly and easily – and I love it.
Now in full disclosure here, the Coq au Vin (which I most definitely am not pronouncing right by the way) is the dish that gets made in one pot. I was not smart enough to think of a way to also make the mashers in the same pot. I am kind of thinking that can’t be done, but then again you never know, I’ll leave that to the master chefs.
Here is the deal with this fancy, but not so fancy dinner. It happened all because it snowed. You see, the snow does magical, and apparently delicious things this time of year.
I have to say that I was pretty excited for all the snow we got, and are supposed to continue to get throughout the rest of the week. It’s just what I crave this time of year. Trust me, come late January I will be so over it, but right now I am loving it and loving the foods it inspires me to make.
I was having a pretty hard time deciding between recipes the other day. I was doing the whole back and forth, back and forth, “oh, but I sort of already made something similar to this last month” thing. It’s kind of the worst when this happens because I just get straight up annoyed with myself that I cannot think up anything creative. And that I feel like I am wasting time practically arguing with myself in my head about what I should make. I know it is completely insane, but as you all know, I have issues with making decisions.
Meaning I can’t make them.
When I can’t decide on recipes, I do the stupidest thing. I go in search of new recipe inspiration. I know, like why would I do that if I already have recipes ideas to choose from? It’s most likely because I am not crazy exited about the ideas I have written down in my notebook and I feel like I need a new fresh idea. It’s complete craziness, but it is how I work. Plus, I really like to be excited about each and every recipe I do.
So then I stumbled upon a whole bunch of Coq au Vin recipes and thought to myself “oh my gosh, that is perfect for the snowy weather”. The only thing was, I didn’t have four hours, so I just took a few shot cuts, used a lot wine, made some quick mashers and it all just came together. In perfect time too. With the sun setting so freaking early now, it means I actually have to get my stuff together by like four, and if you know me, this is nearly impossible and NO FUN. But somehow I have been managing. I think it may just be luck…just hoping it does not run out anytime soon. The lucky pot of gold is endless, right?
This dish has classic French flavors, wine, mushrooms, garlic and the best painless mashed potatoes to soak up all the sauce – which by the way is so good. Don’t be freaked out by the fancy name, this meal is totally laid back with simple mellow flavors that even picky eaters will love. Although, I do think that the only reason I got my brothers to try this was because of the mashers. They love mashed potatoes, especially mashed potatoes along with a saucy-gravy like dish.
The only reason they were hesitant to try the chicken was because of the veggies in the sauce, but they just slid those off to the side and totally loved the dish. The rest of us normal eaters ate our veggies. Typical.
The Coq au Vin (which if you are wondering is just chicken in a red wine mushroom sauce) honestly takes a little over thirty minutes, maybe more or less depending on how slow or quick you are working. Adding the mashed potatoes added on the time, but I mean, how could brown butter mashed potatoes not be worth it?
They are. Even if they require another dish to clean (sorry!). And really, every saucy dish like this SHOULD require creamy, buttery mashers. There really is no other way in my mind.
I know that everyone is in “Thanksgiving foods only” mode, but hey, don’t we still have to eat between now and the 27th? Pretty sure we do, and this meal is so cozy and delicious!
Surely this One-Pot 45 Minute Coq au Vin will keep you satisfied until the big feast.
One-Pot 45 Minute Coq au Vin with Brown Butter Sage Mashed Potatoes.
Ingredients
Coq au Vin
- 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 small sweet potato, cubed
- 2 medium size carrots, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken tenders or small chicken breasts, may sub thighs if desired
- 2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups red wine, plus more if needed
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 leaves bay
- 4 whole sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Mashed Potatoes
- 4 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and quartered (I used Idaho, but you may sub Russet)
- 2-4 cloves garlic, peeled (I used 4)
- salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned
- 8 leaves fresh sage, chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large pot of cold water, bring the potatoes and garlic to a boil. Salt the water and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet or brazier with high sides over medium-high heat and cook bacon until crispy. Add another drizzle of oil if needed and then add the onion, garlic, carrots and sweet potatoes. Cook the veggies, stirring often until soft and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and then scooch the veggies to the outside of the pan to make room for the chicken.
- Add a drizzle of oil to the pan if needed. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the hot pan and sear on both sides until browned. About 4-8 minutes per side, depending on how thick your chicken is (mine was thin). Toss in the sliced mushrooms and cook another minute or two.
- Slowly pour in the red wine and chicken broth. Add the a bay leaf and thyme and season with salt + pepper. Gently stir everything to combine and then bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by about 1/3.
- By this time, the potatoes should be just about ready to be drained. Drain the potatoes, return the potatoes to the pot and mash over low heat, or mash in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, adding the cream and 2 teaspoons salt.
- In a skillet or small sauce pot melt the butter and chopped sage over medium heat until just browned. The butter will melt, foam and froth, then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Pour the browned sage butter into the warm mashed potatoes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.
- To serve, remove the bay leaf and thyme from the Coq au Vin. Plate the mashed potatoes. Serve the chicken on the side of the mashed potatoes and then ladle the sauce + veggies over the chicken. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Now let’s eat!
OH MY GOSH. Seriously SO good. These flavors are… WOW! Will make this over and over again! Thank you!
Thank you so much Whitney! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
I’ve made this several times for my family and it’s a huge hit! Super flavourful and easy to make.
Thank you so much Selina! xTieghan
This looks delightful, I can’t wait to try it! Do you use a specific type of red wine?
Hey Katherine,
I like to use a Cabernet Sauvignon. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Came out PHENOMENAL. Posted a photo in the comments on Pinterest. Thank you! ?
Thank you so much Kelly! xTieghan
This was amazing! Everyone loved it! I didn’t make the mashed potatoes but I’m sure they’re amazing too
Thank you so much Erica!! I am so happy this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
A perfect score from my family! Not too expensive or difficult – layered flavors – beautiful presentation. Delicious!
Love that! Thank you Melissa! xTieghan
This looks amazing!! Any recommendations for the type of wine? I’m terrible at choosing red wines!
Hi Ashley,
I like a dry Cabernet Sauvignon. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Love this recipe. It is absolutely delicious and I will make it so many more times!!! Actually all of your recipes are incredible, I don’t know how you do it. But I will say that this isn’t really a one pot recipe since you need a pot for the potatoes also and a small pan to do the browned butter. Not a big deal but I did search for one pot recipes when I came across this. Since I don’t have a dishwasher, that’s sadly how I choose a lot of meals. But this was worth the extra dishes!!!!
You are too kind! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Ally! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
The only meat I eat is chicken and turkey. I will not eat bacon. If I skip the bacon will the recipe be a flop ?
Hi Susan,
You can simply omit the bacon. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What dreams are made of. We tried it, we loved it, we will be making this again! Thank you for sharing this recipe with the world (or at least with ours).
Thank you so much Meagan! So glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
We made this last night and it was totally amazing! I love your recipes and this was just another to add to the list of favorites. Thank you for sharing your talent!!!
Hi Leah! Yes! I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Why do so many people post comments about how good it looks ? Make it first, then post your comments and results. I am about to make it, but have 1 question – I don’t eat bacon, is it worth making without it or would it decrease it’s distinct flavor too much ? Thank you
HI there!! Many have left reviews and made the recipe too 🙂
You can simply omit the bacon. No big deal. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
Made this for a French meal with friends before our trip to Bordeaux and a week of Cook in France. It was delicious. The potatoes were amazing. My new favorite recipe. More time-consuming that I expected, but worth every minute and every pan and utensil that I used. So glad I made it ahead and had all the dishes and cleanup done prior to my guests arriving. Forgot to take a pic though.
Oh wow that sounds like an amazing trip! I am so glad this turned out well for you and made you a bit more excited! Have an amazing time! xTieghan
Hi, I have “pinned” many of your recipes and I love them! However, I do wish you could make the title of the recipe in a more prominent font and a bit larger, kind of like how you print “THE RECIPE” at the top of the page. I have a filing cabinet of recipes that I love and have printed out and I have to use a yellow highlighter just to see what the recipe is when I am going through my folders to see what I have in there. Just a suggestion, and thanks for all of your scrumptious recipes! Now I will be trying this wonderful recipe in a few days!
Hi Kim! I am so glad you have been loving many of my recipes! Also, thank you for this suggestion! I will work on it! xTieghan
This was absolutely amazing! These are the best mashed potatoes. I’m never making them any other way! So flavorful and creamy. Definitely a keeper. Tieghan never ceases to amaze!
Haha yes!! So happy to hear that! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes Lonnie! Thank you! xTieghan