Who says warm braised chicken, aka, Coq au Riesling, can’t be perfect for warm summer evenings? It can and this subtle version is not only simpler but more delicately flavored with only leeks, shallots, and parsley. I scuttled the garlic, thyme, etc… And since the meat cooks at a lower temperature it needs to be on the bone for maximum flavor & unctuousness.

Prep the Chicken

To start you’ll want to cut up a small chicken or get three pounds of parts (I usually default to thighs) then dry them off and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in your pot and when it’s hot place the chicken skin side down in the fat. Don’t move it until the skin has formed a golden crust. You can determine this by shaking the pan gently. If the skin is crispy it will release naturally. Once it does, flip it and do a quick brown on the other side then remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Then the Veg

While the chicken’s browning, carefully wash and chop the bottom greenish/gold part of the leeks and the shallots. Put them in the pan and saute for a few then add the wine, scraping the bottom to bring up the browned parts. After a good stir throw in the bay leaf then place the halved and peeled carrots on top and the chicken with its juices on top of that. Let it boil until somewhat reduced then cover and put in the oven.

More Veg

While it’s cooking boil the potatoes in salted water. The reason I do this separately is to make sure the potatoes aren’t overcooked. And I know that having potatoes and noodles is gilding the lily but I love them both so you can skip the noodles if that’s too excessively starchy.

Plate it up!

Once the chicken is done remove to a serving platter and stir in the minced parsley, potatoes, and heavy cream. Spoon over the chicken, top with chives, and serve. If you’re serving with the noodles as an option you’ll want to put them on the individual serving plates before digging into the chicken and cream sauce.

Finish with a squirt of lemon and you are good to go!

Finally, if you’re looking for a light summer salad make my orange arugula version. It’s a perfect tart foil for the creamy chicken.

And now a word about the wine:

Riesling, or as the French say, “L’un des plus grands cépages du monde!”

And they’re right! It really is one of the greatest grape varieties which is why I wanted to provide a little background since it’s in the title of the dish, but also because it’s one of my favorites. Riesling has many styles but it’s summer and the right Riesling style for a braised chicken dish is a dry minerally one with distinct under-ripe fruit and citrus notes. It won’t overwhelm the other ingredients and has the added bonus of going down easy with the meal. The late harvest sweet versions are famed but the topic for another posting since they’re enjoyed in different contexts.

Alsatian Rieslings

Riesling is a grape grown on both sides of the Rhine but compared to their German counterparts, dry Alsatian Rieslings tend to be drier, have more mineral notes, and be aligned more closely with the citrus spectrum of fruit flavors. The grape began to be cultivated in Germany in the 15th century before crossing the border to France in the 17th.

American and Australian Rieslings

For the purposes of this recipe, there’s not a big difference between the two so any of the younger drier versions are fine and you can even try excellent varieties grown in Washington State, the New York finger lakes region, or Australia’s Clare Valley. As you can see from these far-flung locations Monsieur Riesling is a traveler who only demands cooler weather, especially at night. The other advantage accruing to this varietal is its consistent quality across brands. What does that mean? Simple – it means that all the major growers will deliver a delicious product regardless of brand or vintage. In addition to the Trimbach, I used you might try vintages from Beyer, Windsbuhl, or Josmeyer.

The dryness lightness and lower alcohol allow it to cut through the cream and fat. Perfect for chicken, pork, and fish and of course, perfect for the Coq au Riesling featured here.

And remember, the French expression for a bribe is a “pot de vin.” With one of these vintages, you could bribe almost anyone to do anything. Good to know in election season!