Coq au Vin

Coq au vin is chicken braised slowly in red wine with bacon, mushrooms and small onions. It is most associated with Burgundy, and like a lot of French classics it started as a practical problem: what to do with a bird too old and tough to roast.

What it actually is

Traditionally the coq — an old rooster — was marinated in red wine and cooked for hours until the meat gave way. Modern kitchens use a good chicken or just chicken legs, and it takes far less time.

The bird is browned, then braised with the wine, lardons, button mushrooms, pearl onions, garlic and a bouquet garni. At the end the sauce is reduced and usually thickened with a paste of flour and butter.

The oldest versions thicken the sauce with the bird's blood. That is rare now, and worth knowing about mainly so you recognise the reference.

Regional variants are named for their wine: coq au vin jaune in the Jura, coq au Riesling in Alsace.

How it's served

• With potatoes, buttered noodles or just good bread — something to take the sauce.
• In the braising dish for a table to share, or plated by the piece.
• Better the next day, like most braises, which makes it a practical dish to prep ahead.

Writing it on a menu

• Say which wine you use. A Riesling version is a different dish from a Burgundy one, and it is the detail that signals you know the recipe.
• Flag the alcohol. A long braise reduces it but does not remove it — this matters to more guests than owners tend to assume.
• Note the pork in the lardons and the gluten if you thicken with flour.
• Mention the cut: a whole leg reads very differently from mixed pieces on the bone.