Skip to content

Meat, Northern, Eastern and Western France

Coq au riesling with spätzle

Coq au riesling with spätzle is an Alsatian braised chicken dish for 4, ready in 1 hour 25 minutes, medium difficulty, at €3.80 per person. Chicken simmers in riesling with mushrooms and shallots, then cream is stirred in at the end to keep the sauce smooth. Homemade spätzle, browned in butter, soak up the sauce and round out the dish.

A really creamy coq au riesling with spätzle golden in butter, Alsace on a plate.

Coq au riesling with spätzle
Total time
1 h 25
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.80
Calories per person
710 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Coq au riesling fills the kitchen with a warm smell while it simmers gently on the stove. The chicken turns tender in the white wine, mushrooms add bite, and cream, stirred in only at the end, coats every piece without ever splitting. Spätzle, those small irregular noodles pressed by hand, stand in for rice or potatoes and soak up the sauce better than anything else.

This is a Sunday dish or a winter evening project for when you have a bit of time ahead of you, perfect once the cold sets in and you want something comforting. Kids generally love the buttery spätzle, and the creamy sauce wins over the whole table every time. Mon Chou suggests it from the first chilly days of fall, for anyone who wants an Alsatian classic without the fuss.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Free range chicken, cut into pieces 1.4 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • White mushrooms 300 g
  • Shallots 3
  • Thyme 3 sprigs

Pantry

  • Riesling 40 cl
  • Flouroften in the pantry 300 g
  • Nutmegoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Heavy cream 20 cl
  • Butter 60 g
  • Eggs 3
  • Milk 10 cl

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the chicken pieces in half the butter, then set them aside. 12 min

    Start skin side down and don't move the pieces around.

  2. Cook the shallots and mushrooms in the pot, put the chicken back in, pour in the riesling and add the thyme.

    Deglaze by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.

  3. Cover and let simmer over low heat, then stir in the cream. 40 min

    Add the cream at the end of cooking so it stays smooth.

  4. Make the spätzle batter by whisking the flour, eggs, milk, salt and nutmeg into a thick batter full of small bubbles.

    Whisk for a while so the batter turns elastic.

  5. Press the batter through a large holed colander over boiling salted water, scoop out the spätzle once they float, then brown them in butter. 10 min

    Dip your spatula in hot water first, the batter slides through more easily.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a dry riesling that isn't too fruity, it needs acidity to balance the cream.
  • Don't let the sauce boil once the cream is in, it can split and lose its smoothness.
  • For even spätzle, use a large holed colander or a proper spätzle press rather than a fine sieve.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken for rabbit pieces, which pair just as well with riesling and mushrooms.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with a mix of mushrooms and vegetable broth, keeping the cream and spätzle as they are.
  • To save time, buy fresh spätzle from the dairy aisle and just brown them in butter.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette
  • A glass of chilled riesling
  • Crusty bread for the sauce

Storage

Coq au riesling keeps for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It freezes well, though the spätzle should be made fresh separately. Reheat the sauce gently so it doesn't split.

Questions about this dish

Can you make coq au riesling ahead of time?

Yes, the chicken and sauce can be made a day ahead and actually taste better. Reheat gently and cook the spätzle just before serving so they stay soft.

Can you substitute the heavy cream?

You can use full fat liquid cream instead, though the sauce will be a bit thinner. Avoid light cream, which tends to split when heated.

Are spätzle hard to get right?

Not really, the key is a thick batter whisked long enough to form small bubbles. A large holed colander or a spätzle press makes pressing the batter much easier.

How do you make this dish kid friendly?

Kids usually love the buttery golden spätzle and the creamy sauce, so you can just go lighter on the pepper. Mix the spätzle right into the sauce for an even more comforting bowl.

How long does it take to make a coq au riesling with spätzle?

Count 1 h 25 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a coq au riesling with spätzle?

About 710 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a coq au riesling with spätzle cost?

About €3.80 per serving, or €15.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Cuisine from Northern, Eastern and Western France

See all

Mushroom recipes

See all