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Kevin Ashade

coq au vin
S8E5 French · 2016

Dallas fine-dining chef who won by UNANIMOUS decision. Told Dallas Observer: personality matters as much as skill.

Pangea restaurant in Garland, TX closed in January 2025. Currently runs GourmEATS Catering Services.

coq au vin

25 min Prep
90 min Cook
4 Serves
Ingredients
  • 1 whole chicken (4 lbs), cut into 8 pieces, patted dry
  • 6 oz lardons or thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/4-inch batons
  • 2 cups pearl onions, peeled
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms, halved
  • 3 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch batons
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 bottle (750 ml) Burgundy red wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add lardons and cook 4-5 minutes until fat renders and edges crisp. Remove with slotted spoon to a plate.
  2. Pat chicken pieces dry again. Working in two batches to avoid crowding, brown chicken skin-side down 4-5 minutes per side until golden amber at 375°F internal oven temp. Season each batch with salt and pepper as it hits the pan. Transfer to plate.
  3. Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to pot. Add pearl onions and carrots, sauté 6-7 minutes until lightly caramelized. Add minced garlic and tomato paste, cook 2 minutes stirring constantly until paste darkens slightly.
  4. Pour in entire bottle of Burgundy wine, scraping up fond with wooden spoon. Add chicken stock, bay leaves, and thyme sprigs. Return chicken pieces and lardons to pot, nestling them into liquid. Liquid should come 3/4 up the sides of chicken.
  5. Bring to gentle simmer on stovetop (do not boil). Cover and transfer to 325°F oven for 45 minutes. Add cremini mushrooms, stir gently, and continue cooking uncovered for 20-25 minutes more until chicken is fork-tender at thickest thigh (165°F internal temp).
  6. Remove from oven. Fish out bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Skim any excess fat from surface with spoon. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
  7. For a silkier sauce, remove chicken to serving platter and tent with foil. Strain cooking liquid through fine-mesh sieve, pressing vegetables gently. Return strained liquid to pot, simmer over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes to concentrate slightly.
  8. Pour sauce and vegetables over chicken, scatter lardons on top, and finish with fresh thyme leaf garnish. Serve immediately with egg noodles or crusty bread to capture every drop of wine reduction.
Inspired by Kevin Ashade’s winning coq au vin. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.
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