Coq au Vin (Rooster in Wine)
A classic French braise of rooster in red Burgundy wine, adapted from Richard Olney's The French Menu Cookbook. Best cooked in spring when small pearl/balut onions can be found (not to be confused with pickling shallots). The author notes one bottle of wine may not be enough for a whole rooster, so add more wine, stock or water (water is better than a bland stock). Doses are for 6 servings. There is no short version - otherwise it wouldn't be French.
🍳 Cook: 90 min
Ingredients
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | olive oil |
| 200 g | boneless pork belly, cut into 1.5 cm cubes | |
| 3 | medium carrots, cut into 2.5 cm pieces | |
| 3 | medium onions, finely chopped | |
| 1 | rooster, cut into pieces | |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | flour |
| 1 | bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, sprig fresh thyme, 3-4 sprigs fresh parsley) | |
| 60 ml | cognac (or brandy) | |
| 750 ml | good red wine | |
| — | salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| 3 tbsp | 45 ml | butter (for garnish) |
| 250 g | button mushrooms, cut into 2 or 4 if large | |
| 250 g | small yellow pearl onions | |
| 6 | slices white bread | |
| 1-2 | garlic cloves | |
| — | finely chopped fresh parsley |
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large lidded pot suitable for stovetop and oven (a cast-iron pot works well). Fry the diced pork belly, stirring occasionally, until golden. Remove and set aside.
- In the same fat add the carrots and onions. Over medium-low heat stir periodically for 20 minutes until soft, golden and starting to caramelise. Remove and set aside.
- Season the rooster pieces all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry in the same pot over high heat (adding a little fat if needed), in batches, until golden-brown all over. Return all the rooster pieces to the pot and sprinkle with the flour. Stir 1-2 minutes to cook the flour.
- Add the onions and carrots to the rooster. Pour over the cognac (or brandy), then the wine. Stir the meat as much as possible until the mixture comes to a boil.
- When it boils add the bouquet garni (no need to tie it, the sauce will be strained later). If the liquid does not cover the rooster, add more wine, water or good stock so it barely covers the meat.
- Cover and place in a preheated oven at 180°C. The sauce should barely simmer; check and lower the temperature if needed. Cook 1 hour 30 minutes (add 30 min to 1 hour if the bird is over 10 months old).
- Meanwhile prepare the garnish. Brush the mushrooms clean with a dry brush; leave small ones whole, cut larger into 2 or 4. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a pan, add mushrooms and cook over high heat 2-3 minutes; season and stir often to colour all over. Remove and set aside.
- Peel the onions. In the same pan melt 1 tbsp butter, add the onions and cook over very low heat 20 minutes, shaking the pan to caramelise evenly. Set aside.
- Remove the pot from the oven. Lift out the rooster and carrots with a slotted spoon. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a separate pot.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then set the pot so its base covers only half the burner (dépouillement, the French clarifying technique). Impurities and fat will collect on the off-heat side; skim periodically for 30 minutes or until the sauce is clear.
- If the sauce has not thickened enough, place over high heat 20-30 minutes until reduced.
- Return the rooster and carrots to the large pot. Distribute the pork belly, mushrooms and onions over them and pour over the sauce. Cover and return to the oven 15-30 minutes to bubble together.
- For the toasts, melt 1 tbsp butter in a pan and toast the bread slices over low heat on both sides until golden and crisp. When cool, rub with a garlic clove, dip one end in the sauce and then in chopped parsley.
- Serve in the cooking pot with toasts alongside, or arrange with the garnish (mushrooms and onions) on a warm platter surrounded by the bread, sauce served separately. Sprinkle meat and garnish with chopped parsley. The author suggests steamed potatoes on the side.