Receta Julia Child’s Coq au Vin
The cherry trees are in full bloom. It happens overnight. One day it’s rainy and miserable, the next the sun is peeking through the mountains and the cherry blossoms have sprouted from their tight buds. It’s a sign that spring is around the corner, the last chance to cook some of those hearty dishes that I never had a chance to cook (or at least cook very often) in the winter months
This coq au vin is such a dish. It’s the rustic cooking of a family-run country roadside bistro where the kitchen is presided over by maman, whose recipes have been in the family for generations, and the restaurant feels like an extension of her living room. It’s the kind of food where you get back what you put in. When it comes to a proper cassoulet or coq au vin, I turn to a few masters. Patricia Wells and Anne Willan. Larousse. Julia Child. There is more than one way to arrive at these dishes, but I count on these masters to translate the vibrant earthiness of classic French cuisine for my North American table in a way I can rely on.
Coq au vin can be made with either red or white wine. I like to make it with riesling but red wine is usually considered the more classic choice. Simply, coq au vin is chicken stewed with onions, mushrooms, and bacon. Three ingredients that in my opinion make any dish better. Three cornerstone ingredients of French cuisine–which is why I love it so much. Coq in French actually means “rooster”, which is a bird that benefits from long braising, although chicken has become the standard in the dish. A peek into the annals of food history reveals that coq au vin has been around for a long time, perhaps since ancient Gaul, although this is more legend than a fact that has been well documented.
So if you have a couple of hours to spend in the kitchen this weekend, I urge you to follow Julia in the makings of coq au vin. You’ll find it a meditation, and once you put your feet up, you’ll reap the rewards in a dish as robust and full-bodied as the bottle of Burgundy I hope you’ll drink it with.
Julia Child’s Coq au Vin
Chicken in Red Wine with Onions, Mushrooms, and Bacon
adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces lean bacon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 pounds cut up frying chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup cognac
- 3 cups red wine
- 1 to 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic, mashed
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 to 24 baby onions
- 1/2 pound sauteed mushrooms
- salt
- pepper
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
- sprigs of fresh thyme or parsley
Directions:
1) Cut the bacon crosswise into lardons (rectangles about 1/4 inch across). Saute until very lightly browned and transfer to a side dish. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy 10-inch fireproof casserole dish. Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towel and brown in the butter. Season with salt and pepper and return bacon to the casserole dish. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.
2) Uncover and pour in the cognac. Off the heat, ignite the cognac, averting your face, with a lighted match. Shake the casserole back and forth until the flames subside.
3) Pour the wine into a casserole. Add just enough stock or bouillon to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and its juices run clear. Remove chicken to a side dish.
4) While the chicken is cooking, cook the onions in boiling water until the peels loosen, about ten minutes. Saute the mushrooms at this time.
5) Skim the fat off the chicken cooking liquid then raise the heat and boil rapidly, reducing the liquid to about 2 1/4 cups. Correct seasonings. Discard bay leaf.
6) Blend the flour and butter together into a smooth paste. Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip. Bring to a simmer once again. The sauce should now be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
7) Arrange the chicken in the casserole, placing the peeled mushrooms and onions around it, and baste with the sauce. If you are not serving the dish immediately, film the top of the sauce with stock or dot with small pieces of butter. Set aside uncovered. Shortly before serving, bring to a simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is heated through.