Authentic Coq au Vin Recipe Burgundy, France

Combining a rich dark sauce with flavorful onions, lardons, mushrooms, and tender browned pieces of rooster meat, coq au vin is a great make-ahead meal perfect for entertaining, as it can be simply reheated before serving. This crowd-pleaser also lends itself easily to large parties, as the recipe can be easily doubled or tripled. Coq au vin is even better the day after it is made, as all the ingredients will have had time to steep overnight. According to the traditional recipe, coq au vin is prepared using rooster meat which is gamey and tough when compared to younger chicken meat predominantly sold in stores today. The sauce is made with a whole bottle of red Burgundy wine, which is thickened with rooster's blood near the end of cooking. Mushrooms and onions are typically cooked separately and added either near the end of cooking or once the dish is cooked to avoid overcooking. Regional variations differ in the type of wine used. Even though both dishes often include morels and ... Read more