This week's work ·
A Sunday braise, a bottle of wine, and the smell of January
Chicken braised low and slow with wine, mushrooms, and pearl onions until it falls off the bone. The kind of Sunday dinner that fills the whole house with the smell of January.
January Sundays are made for braises. We browned a whole cut-up chicken in the big skillet, then let it simmer for two hours in wine, broth, mushrooms, and a handful of pearl onions until the meat pulled away from the bone with a fork.
The recipe is coq au vin in spirit, not in letter — we kept the wine and the mushrooms and the long, patient simmer, but we let it be a weeknight-adjacent version: no bacon, no fuss, just a good sear and a low oven. The house smelled like dinner for the entire afternoon, which is its own kind of happiness.
We served it over wide noodles with the braising liquid spooned over the top, and the leftovers — there were leftovers — got even better overnight. The next day's lunch was cold chicken and mushrooms straight from the pot, and we didn't complain once.
The lesson was about the braise as the original slow cooker. A good sear, a hot oven, and time do the work that no gadget can rush. You just have to start early enough to let it happen.
A good sear, a hot oven, and time do the work that no gadget can rush.
02 · The recipe
Coq au Vin–Style Braised Chicken
Chicken braised low and slow with white wine, mushrooms, and pearl onions until it falls off the bone — a Sunday dinner that fills the house with the smell of January.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 2 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 25 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
What you'll need
Non-perishable
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water, for thickening
Perishable
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
- 1 cup pearl onions, peeled
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Useful equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 325°F. Pat the chicken pieces dry and season them all over with the salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high. Brown the chicken in batches, skin side down first, until deep golden, about 5 minutes per side. Set the pieces aside.
- Pour off most of the fat, add the mushrooms and pearl onions, and cook until they take on color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and smoked paprika, then pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits. Add the broth and thyme and bring to a simmer.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up, nestling the pieces into the liquid. Cover and braise in the oven 1 hour 15 minutes, until the meat is fork-tender.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the sauce on the stovetop, stir in the cornstarch mixture, and cook until glossy and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce and mushrooms over the chicken and serve.
03 · Linked objects
The things worth mentioning.
FINEX 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet Without Lid
One pan does the sear and the braise — this is the skillet that makes the whole dish a single cleanup.
Why we loved it: We love the smooth cast-iron cooking surface: food releases cleanly, heat stays even, and regular seasoning deepens into a durable patina. That steady heat suits crisp searing, browned butter, braises, and hot-oven work.
Worth knowing: It costs more than a standard cast iron pan. Worth it if you cook most days, not if the skillet lives in a cabinet.
See the exact item on Amazon
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
Salt is what makes the sear and the sauce taste like themselves — this is the selected option.
Why we loved it: The crystals are light and grabby, so you can season by feel as the chicken goes into the pan. It's the salt selected for everyday use.
Worth knowing: It's a bigger box than you need at first, but it keeps forever and you'll use it daily.
See the exact item on Amazon
Yupanqui Organic Black Peppercorns
Fresh-cracked pepper is doing real work here.
Why we loved it: A few cracks of pepper over the finished chicken is the finishing move — and this one has the aroma to make a half teaspoon matter.
Worth knowing: It's a single-origin spice in a generous bag — costs more than the supermarket tin, but it stays whole and aromatic for months.
See the exact item on Amazon
Frantoia Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A good sear starts with good oil; this bottle is a straightforward choice for the pan.
Why we loved it: It's peppery and green in the way fresh-pressed oil should be, and it takes the heat of a hard sear without turning flat. Everything after it builds on that first pour.
Worth knowing: It's pricier than a big jug of everyday oil, so the selected option suits cooking dishes like this.
See the exact item on Amazon
Holland House White Cooking Wine
A cup of wine is the flavor hinge of the dish; this bottle fits a simple deglazing step.
Why we loved it: It's dependable and shelf-stable, so there's always some on hand for the cup a braise wants. The acidity is exactly right for chicken and mushrooms.
Worth knowing: It's cooking wine, so don't drink it — but for the pot, it's exactly what you want.
See the exact item on Amazon
Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
Two cups of broth is most of the braising liquid — it's worth making it from the base you trust.
Why we loved it: We love concentrated savory flavor: a spoonful rounds out hot water quickly, the base keeps refrigerated for months, and it belongs when soup or sauce needs broth without opening a carton.
Worth knowing: It's a jar instead of a carton, but it stores better and lasts far longer.
See the exact item on Amazon
Burlap and Barrel Smoked Pimenton Paprika
Half a teaspoon of this in the sauce is the difference between a flat braise and one that smells like a fire in the best way.
Why we loved it: The flavor profile carries hardwood smoke and ripe tomato sweetness — exactly the warm note a winter braise wants. It comes from the same single-origin spice program as the cardamom in the cobbler, and it's just as worth it.
Worth knowing: It's a single-origin spice — costs more than a supermarket jar, but a jar lasts many batches.
See the exact item on Amazon
Starwest Botanicals Organic Cornstarch
One tablespoon is all it takes to get that glossy sauce instead of a watery one.
Why we loved it: Clean, reliable, no additives — it thickens clearly and doesn't clump, which is all you want from cornstarch.
Worth knowing: It's a pantry staple — the organic version costs a little more, but you use so little it hardly matters.
See the exact item on Amazon
WÜSTHOF Classic 3-Piece Prep Knife Set
The prep set divides the braise's prep work cleanly: chef's knife for the chicken, utility for the mushrooms, paring for the pearl onions.
Why we loved it: We love the clean division of labor: the chef's knife handles the main cuts, the paring knife takes detail, and the utility knife bridges the middle. Three blades give a compact kitchen a proper prep rhythm.
Worth knowing: It costs more than a block set and every blade needs hand washing and regular honing. Skip it if you'd rather replace cheap blades than care for good ones.
See the exact item on Amazon
Staub 5.5-Quart Round Cocotte, Matte Black
The 5.5-quart enameled cast iron pot holds the full batch and simmers it steadily.
Why we loved it: We love a pot that sears hard, holds a low oven steady, and moves from stovetop to table without fuss. The self-basting lid helps retain moisture, and the durable build carries the full braise start to finish.
Worth knowing: It's heavy — a two-hand job when full — and enameled cast iron needs gentle handling and hand washing.
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Bianco DiNapoli Organic Tomato Paste, 6 oz
A small can of real tomato paste adds the depth the braise needs.
Why we loved it: Organic tomato paste in the exact concentrated pantry form used by the braise.
Worth knowing: A six-ounce can leaves more than this recipe needs; refrigerate the remainder promptly.
See the exact item on Amazon
