This is a larger Chef’s Table tutorial, so get comfortable and settle in for this one.
It is not difficult — it simply has a few important steps that are worth taking the time to understand.
Chef Ian walks through the full process, including how to break down the chicken, why the chicken is marinated overnight, how to build flavour in stages, and how to finish the sauce with a classic beurre manié.
As always, the focus is not just on what to do, but why each step matters.
That is where the confidence comes from.
For Chef Ian, Coq au Vin is one of those dishes.
The history of this recipe goes right back to 1975, when Ian was just 15 years old and created a three-course meal with the help of his oldest sister, Marg.
The menu was:
Cream of Asparagus Soup
Coq au Vin
Chilled Strawberry Soufflé
The inspiration came from the Margaret Fulton Cookbook, which Ian was given that same year.
More than 50 years later, the heart of the recipe remains the same — chicken marinated in red wine, gently cooked with bacon, mushrooms, onions, garlic, herbs and brandy until rich, glossy and deeply flavoured.
This version brings that classic French country dish into the modern home kitchen using the Ninja 11-in-1, while still keeping the soul of the original recipe intact.
This is not just chicken in red wine. It is a lesson in building flavour.
Chef’s Table / Intermediate
Marinated, sealed, pressure cooked and finished with a classic sauce-thickening technique.
Mashed potato, steamed buttered beans, crusty bread and a glass of red wine.
To be confirmed with our partners at Ballandean Estate Wines.
A bouquet garni is a small bundle of herbs used to flavour stocks, soups, stews and braises.
Traditionally it often includes:
Tie them together with kitchen string, or place them in a small piece of muslin, so they can be removed easily after cooking.
In this Coq au Vin, the bouquet garni helps flavour the wine marinade and adds classic herb depth to the final sauce.
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towel.
Place the chicken into a large bowl with the red wine, crushed garlic and bouquet garni.
Mix well so the chicken is coated evenly.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
This overnight marinade is important. It allows the wine, garlic and herbs to begin flavouring the chicken before cooking, giving the final sauce much more depth.
Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and reserve the marinating liquid.
Pat the chicken dry again with paper towel.
This step matters. If the chicken is too wet, it will steam instead of seal.
Mix the plain flour with Olsson’s Sea Salt Flakes and freshly cracked Spice Lab Mélange of Peppercorns.
Lightly coat the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
Set the Ninja 11-in-1 to Sauté mode.
Add a little oil to the pan.
Seal the chicken pieces in batches, about 3–4 pieces at a time, until lightly coloured on all sides.
Do not overcrowd the pan.
Once sealed, remove the chicken and set aside.
Chef’s note: Colour equals flavour. This stage is where you begin building the depth of the final dish.
Add the pickling onions to the pan and seal until lightly coloured.
Remove and set aside with the chicken.
Add the bacon strips and Swiss brown mushrooms to the pan.
Cook until the bacon begins to colour and the mushrooms take on a little richness.
Return the chicken and onions to the pan with the bacon and mushrooms.
Add the brandy.
Carefully flambé, allowing the alcohol to burn off.
Chef’s safety note: Only flambé if you are confident and your cooking space is safe. Keep your face and hands well back, turn off any overhead extraction directly above the flame, and never pour brandy directly from the bottle into a hot pan. Measure it first.
If you prefer not to flambé, simply add the brandy and allow it to simmer for a minute or two before continuing.
Add the reserved marinating liquid to the Ninja.
Add 200 ml Bone Roasters Chicken Stock.
The stock adds extra flavour depth and gives the sauce a richer, more rounded base.
Bring to the boil on Sauté mode.
Change to Pressure Cook mode and cook for 20 minutes.
Once cooked, release the pressure according to your machine’s instructions.
At this stage, the chicken should be tender and full of flavour.
Carefully remove the chicken pieces from the pot and keep warm.
This is important. Once the chicken is tender, you do not want to keep boiling it in the sauce or it may begin to fall apart.
Bring the sauce back to the boil on Sauté mode.
If the sauce is too thin, thicken it with a beurre manié.
To make the beurre manié, knead together:
Mix until it forms a smooth paste.
Whisk small pieces of the beurre manié into the boiling sauce, a little at a time, until the sauce reaches the consistency you want.
Allow the sauce to cook out for a couple of minutes so the flour taste disappears and the sauce becomes smooth and glossy.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with Olsson’s Sea Salt Flakes and freshly cracked Spice Lab Mélange of Peppercorns.
Return the chicken to the sauce briefly to warm through, or plate the chicken and ladle the sauce over the top.
Any leftover beurre manié can be sealed and stored in the fridge for another sauce or gravy.
Spoon mashed potato into warm bowls.
Add steamed buttered beans to the side.
Place the chicken pieces into the bowl and ladle the rich red wine sauce over the top.
Finish with fresh thyme and a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley.
Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauce and, for the full experience, a glass of red wine.
Once Ballandean Estate Wines has suggested the ideal pairing, this can be added as the finishing touch to the recipe page.
Coq au Vin is one of those dishes that teaches you so much about cooking.
It is not just chicken in red wine. It is about building flavour in stages.
The overnight marinade begins the process.
Drying the chicken properly helps it seal.
The seasoned flour helps create body in the final sauce.
The bacon adds smoke and depth.
The mushrooms bring earthiness.
The onions add sweetness.
The brandy gives warmth and richness.
The Bone Roasters Chicken Stock adds another layer of flavour.
And the beurre manié gives the sauce that final chef-style finish.
This is classic cooking — but made achievable in a modern kitchen.
A beurre manié is one of the classic ways to thicken a sauce.
It is made by kneading together equal parts softened butter and flour until they form a smooth paste.
Small pieces are then whisked into a hot sauce until the sauce thickens.
The butter coats the flour, which helps it blend smoothly into the sauce without forming lumps.
It is especially useful in a dish like Coq au Vin because you can remove the chicken once it is tender, then finish the sauce separately without overcooking the meat.
This gives you the best of both worlds: tender chicken and a glossy, properly finished sauce.
Pressure cooking is brilliant for tenderness, but it does not create the same surface browning as a pan or oven.
That is why sealing the chicken, onions, bacon and mushrooms first is so important.
This step creates the flavour base before the pressure cooker does the tenderising work.
It is the difference between a flat braise and a rich, deeply savoury dish.
You can still make this dish beautifully using a heavy casserole pot or Dutch oven.
Follow the same steps for marinating, drying, flouring and sealing the chicken.
Once the chicken, onions, bacon and mushrooms are coloured, add the brandy, then the reserved marinade and Bone Roasters Chicken Stock.
Bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid and cook slowly for approximately 1½ to 2 hours, or until the chicken is tender.
Remove the chicken once cooked and keep warm.
Bring the sauce back to the boil and thicken with beurre manié if needed.
You can also cook it in the oven at around 160°C, covered, for approximately 1½ hours, checking the liquid level as it cooks.
Remove the lid near the end if the sauce needs reducing.
A spoonful of tomato paste can be added with the bacon and mushrooms for a slightly richer sauce.
This dish is excellent made a day ahead. Like many braised dishes, the flavour improves overnight.
Use a red wine you would happily drink. It does not need to be expensive, but it should have enough body to support the sauce.
Leave the chicken on the bone for maximum flavour and traditional presentation.
This recipe is a great example of why quality pantry staples matter.
Olsson’s Sea Salt Flakes give clean seasoning without harshness.
Spice Lab Mélange of Peppercorns brings a fuller pepper profile than plain black pepper.
Bone Roasters Chicken Stock adds depth, body and savoury richness to the sauce.
A good smoked bacon makes a noticeable difference.
Swiss brown mushrooms hold their texture and bring more flavour than standard white mushrooms.
Simple ingredients, used properly, become something memorable.
We’ll be checking with our partners at Ballandean Estate Wines for their recommended pairing for this dish.
Coq au Vin is rich, savoury and layered, with red wine, bacon, mushrooms, brandy and chicken stock all contributing to the final sauce. The ideal wine will need enough body to stand up to the sauce, but not so much weight that it overpowers the chicken.
Once Ballandean Estate Wines confirms their recommendation, we can add their suggested wine directly into the Chef’s Table recipe notes.
This dish has been with me since I was 15 years old.
I first cooked it in 1975 as part of a three-course meal with my sister Marg, inspired by the Margaret Fulton Cookbook I had been given that year.
More than 50 years later, I still come back to the same recipe.
That is the beauty of good cooking.
Some dishes do not need reinventing. They just need to be respected, understood and passed on.
Chef Ian