Coq au Vin
From the one star french chef Patrick Asfaux
Cooking time :
Total time :
Coq au Vin is typically made using a robust red wine, such as Burgundy or Côtes-du-Rhône, which imparts a rich and spicy flavor to the poultry. The lardons and onions add a touch of salty flavor, while mushrooms and herbs bring freshness and finesse.
The preparation of this dish can take several hours, as it is crucial to let the poultry cook slowly to become tender and flavorful. Once ready, Coq au Vin is served with potatoes or rice, along with a green salad for a refreshing touch.
This traditional Coq au Vin recipe has two approaches:
The first involves preparing the dish in a single day and not marinating the meat. Personally, I believe this method is only suitable when using chicken instead of a true rooster.
The other approach, to which I adhere, considers that rooster meat is firm and benefits greatly from marination.
Coq au Vin for 6 people:
For the marinade:
- 2.5 liters of good red wine (such as Côtes-du-Rhône or Cahors)
- 2 peeled, sliced, and minced carrots
- 1 large minced onion
- 3 cloves of garlic (peeled and crushed)
- 3 minced shallots
- 25 g of dried porcini mushrooms
- A pinch of thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- Salt and a teaspoon of crushed black pepper
Ingredients for the recipe:
- A beautiful rooster: ask your butcher to cut the rooster into thighs and wings in thirds, the neck in halves, the breasts in thirds lengthwise, and separate the wingtips.
- 100 g of butter
- 1 dl of sunflower oil or diced fatback
- 60 g of flour
- 500 g of button mushrooms
- 200 g of blanched and pan-fried lardons
- 200 g of small white onions
- 2 sugar cubes
- Chopped parsley
- 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and crushed)
- 2 small fillets of anchovies in oil
- 2 squares of dark chocolate
Progression
In a large container, place all the marinade ingredients over the rooster pieces, cover, and refrigerate until the next day.
In the morning:
Firstly, preheat your oven to 190°C (th6-7).
1 Carefully place the rooster pieces in a sieve with a small basin underneath.
2 Separately, drain and reserve the marinade garnish (keep the wine).
3 In a large pot (such as Le Creuset), put your butter and oil (or small pieces of fatback) over high heat. When the mixture has a "floury" color, brown your rooster pieces on each side until well-seared.
4 Then add the drained vegetables from the marinade, cover, and let them sweat for eight minutes.
5 Sprinkle the flour while stirring (singer) and let it cook for another five minutes covered.
6 Pour in the wine from the marinade, stir, and when it reaches a boil, test the seasoning, then cover halfway and place it in the oven for two hours.
7 During the cooking time, you'll have plenty of time to prepare the garnish: In a flat sauté pan, pour your peeled small onions, 20g of butter, 2 sugar cubes, salt, then cover with water. Cover with parchment paper and let it simmer until the water evaporates and the onions glaze (if you don't have time, you can skip this step, but it would be a shame).
8 Wash your button mushrooms as quickly as possible and cut them into quarters, sauté them in a mixture of butter and oil, season with salt and pepper, drain them, and set them aside.
9 Your rooster has been cooking for two hours; test its doneness by inserting a knife tip into a thigh piece. Then, using a ladle, remove as much excess fat as possible from the pot (digestion).
10 With a fork and a skimmer, carefully remove the rooster pieces (decant) and arrange them in your serving dish.
11 In the sauce, add the chopped parsley, the 2 cloves of garlic, the anchovy fillets, and the chocolate squares, then blend for 15 seconds and strain this sauce through a sieve onto the rooster pieces in the Coq au Vin, then pour the entire mixture back into your empty pot.
12 Then add the small onions, sautéed lardons, and button mushrooms to your filled pot of Coq au Vin, bring it back to a boil.
There you have it, it's ready!
Serve, for example, with buttered tagliatelle or English-style potatoes, and consider adding a sautéed mix of fresh porcini mushrooms or large Soissons beans passed through salted butter.
PS: After enjoying your Coq au Vin, you'll have leftover sauce; don't forget my advice and freeze it in small quantities in ice cube trays; one day a ribeye steak, poached eggs, a river fish fillet, or even some fresh pasta will thank you.