Coq au Vin

The original recipe for coq au vin called for a rooster who was well past his crowing days. Although full of flavour, an old bird is rather tough which is why it needs to be cooked in wine and for rather a long time. This is an slightly adapted version of Julia Child’s famous recipe (serves 4).

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​Coq au vin

1/2 cup lardons (or smoked bacon), cut into chunks

2 or more tablespoons olive oil

2 chicken legs, 4 thighs and 2 breasts, skin removed and thoroughly dried

1/4 cup Cognac or Armagnac (or brandy if you can’t find either)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

20 small white onions, peeled

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups good red wine

About 2 cups chicken stock,

2 garlic cloves, mashed or minced

About 1 tablespoon tomato paste

250g fresh mushrooms, quartered

fresh parsley, chopped

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Sauté the bacon in 2 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer it to a side dish, leaving the drippings in the pan. Add the chicken, being careful not to crowd the pan. (You may need to work in batches). Cook the chicken, turning frequently, until nicely browned on all sides. Carefully pour the Cognac or Armagnac into the pan until it sizzles and starts to evaporate.

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Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf and thyme to the pan and place the onions around the chicken. Cover and simmer gently, adding a splash of water if you need to, turning the chicken once, for about 10 minutes. Uncover the pan, sprinkle the flour over everything, and turn the chicken and onions so the flour is absorbed by the sauce. Cover and cook, turning once or twice, for 3 to 4 minutes more.

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Remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir and swirl in the wine and enough stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the bacon, garlic and tomato paste to the pan, cover, and gently simmer for about 40 minutes. Test the chicken for doneness (there should be no trace of pink and the juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife). The sauce should be just thick enough to lightly coat the chicken and vegetables. If it is too thin, boil it down rapidly to concentrate; if it is too thick, thin it with spoonfuls of stock. Taste the sauce carefully, and correct the seasoning accordingly. Fry the mushrooms quickly in a little olive oil and butter (add a dash of cognac too if you like) and scatter over the chicken, with some chopped parsley. Serve immediately.