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Coq au vin is a French dish of chicken or capon braised in wine with mushrooms, pork, onions, and garlic. It originated as peasant food and is now a staple of haute cuisine. The chicken is marinated in wine, seared in fat, and slowly simmered in wine with spices. The sauce is thickened with a roux or blood.
Coq au vin is a French dish of chicken or capon braised in wine with porcini mushrooms, lard or strips of pork, and often onions and garlic. Sometimes, other vegetables or brandy are added to the recipe. Coq au vin is usually made with Burgundy wine, although different regions of France often use a local wine for the dish. Coq au vin is a favorite dish for the cold winter months and a comfort food for some people.
Coq au vin literally translates as “rooster in wine” and presumably, the recipe was originally a way to soften the texture of rooster meat through slow braising. The dish is believed to have originated as peasant food that sought to creatively exploit whatever food was available, though coq au vin is now a staple of haute cuisine. Coq au vin is said to have existed since the days of the Roman Empire, but it wasn’t documented until the early 20th century. However, many early accounts make it a much longer story. The simplicity of the dish also suggests that French peasants were cooking it long before anyone bothered to write down a recipe.
It’s very unusual to cook with rooster today, so most recipes call for chicken, which has a much more palatable texture. Lots of connective tissue, or tendons and sinews, contribute to the texture and flavor of the sauce, so dark-meat chicken is the best choice. Capon, a castrated rooster, may also be used, but some argue that capon is too expensive and too delicate a meat to be used in such a dish, which would largely mask its flavour.
When making coq au vin, the chicken is first marinated in wine, then seared in fat, sometimes with a little brandy added and seared, before being slowly simmered in wine with mushrooms, lard and spices. Traditionally, spices include salt, pepper, and a bouquet garni, a string-tied bundle of herbs that is removed before serving. The bouquet garni contains parsley, thyme and bay leaf. The sauce is thickened with a roux, a cooked mixture of flour and butter, added at the beginning of the cooking process or with some blood added towards the end. White wine recipes, such as the Riesling-based version served in Alsace, may also include cream and morels.
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