Gavin Kaysen's Coq Au Vin

"This is a classic French braise that I learned from my mentor, Daniel Boulud, and one that we always had on the menu at Cafe Boulud in Manhattan. This is a home kitchen–friendly version of the dish, which uses, yes, two bottles of red wine to intensify the flavor of the liquid. It's a perfect centerpiece to gather around this time of year."

Ingredients

• 2- (750 ml) bottles full-bodied dry red wine
• 1 chicken, whole, (about 3½ pounds), separated into 2 breasts, 2 thighs, and 2 drumsticks
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch batons
• 8 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 pound small button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
• ½ pound pearl onions, peeled
• ¼ pound slab bacon, cut into ¼-inch batons
• 1 herb sachet (4 thyme sprigs, 1 fresh bay leaf, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp white peppercorns tied up in cheesecloth with butcher's twine)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• ¼ bunch parsley, leaves picked
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper, as needed

Directions

1. In the D5 Stainless Steel 3-Quart Saucepan, bring the wine to a boil and reduce to 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature (you can do this ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to use).
2. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and add the celery, garlic, mushrooms, onions, bacon, and herb sachet. Pour the reduced wine over, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
4. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Reserving the red wine reduction, use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the ingredients out of the wine. Scatter the ingredients on a sheet pan lined with paper towels and pat dry.
5. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Place the D5 Stainless Steel 3-Quart Sauté Pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring, until the bacon is crisp, about 4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon.
6. Add the olive oil to the rendered bacon fat. Working in batches, sear the chicken pieces on all sides until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer the browned chicken to a wire rack set inside a sheet pan.
7. When all of the chicken has been seared, add the celery, garlic, mushrooms, and onions to the saute pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the reserved red wine reduction, bacon, chicken, herb sachet, and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a round of parchment paper and transfer to the oven.
8. Cook, turning the chicken pieces over and basting them with sauce three or four times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 165°F, 1 to 1½ hours.
9. Remove the saute pan from the oven and season the braising liquid to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish the coq au vin with the parsley and serve.

Pro Tip

If the liquid seems too thin, remove the chicken and vegetables and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the liquid until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Return the ingredients to the pot.

RECIPE BY

Gavin Kaysen

Gavin Kaysen is the award-winning chef and founder of Soigné Hospitality Group in Minneapolis, known for his nationally recognized group of restaurants as well as his leadership in the culinary profession. His restaurants in the North Loop neighborhood of Minneapolis include Spoon and Stable, a 2015 James Beard Award Finalist for Best New Restaurant; Demi, an intimate 20-seat tasting menu experience ranked #3 on Robb Report's list of the "10 Best Restaurants in North America"; and Cooks | Bellecour, a culinary shop and cooking school which serves an array of French bistro-inspired pastries, sandwiches, and more. He introduced the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Mara and Socca Café in Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis in the summer of 2022. Chef Kaysen's catering company, KZ ProVisioning, created in partnership with Chef Andrew Zimmern, fuels the Minnesota Wild and the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

With the aim of supporting the next generation of young culinarians, Chef Kaysen serves as the President of the ment'or BKB Foundation Team USA where he collaborates with two of his mentors, and the world's most celebrated chefs, Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller.

Chef Kaysen is the proud recipient of two James Beard Awards: Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2008, and Best Chef: Midwest in 2018. He published his first cookbook, At Home, in the fall of 2022, exploring recipes and techniques for every level of home cook.