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Coq au Vin
In most cases, Coq au Vin is simply chicken cooked in wine.
There are several variations, in particular:
-
In the French region of Bourgogne
(which the English know as Burgundy), a red wine is
typically used. This is perhaps the most well-known version
of Coq au Vin.
-
In some areas a white wine is used
instead. Although these versions are less well known, I
personally consider white wine more suitable as it
complements the flavour of the chicken instead of
over-powering it. After all, if one was serving a glass of
wine with a chicken dish, it would be considered very odd to
serve a red wine instead of a white wine. For similar
reasons (white wine going better with fowl), I believe that
Coq au Vin is best prepared with a white wine.
-
In Alsace, a Reisling white wine is
traditionally used. This reflects the fact that
Alsace
is on the German border and has strong historical Germanic
connections, which is reflected in both its food and wine.
Cream and morel mushrooms may be added.
-
In the
Franche-Comté
a Vin Jaune white wine is traditionally
used, with cream and morel mushrooms. Personally, I consider
this to be the finest version of Coq au Vin. See the recipes
below for further discussion.
-
Other regions of France may use either
a red or a white wine, depending on local preferences and
individual cooks.
Recipes
Coq au Vin (rouge)
- The best-known version of Coq au Vin
Coq au Vin (blanc)
- A simple meal, which is widely appreciated
Coq au Vin avec Creme
- An elegant but simple recipe
Coq au Vin (Vin Jaune, Cream,
Morels) - The king of
Coq au Vin recipes
Coq
au Vin - Name:
Coq is the French
word for "cock" (as in Rooster, or male chicken). Vin is French
for "wine" and "au" is French for "of the". Consequently, "Coq
au Vin" literally translates as "Cock of the wine". However, as
literal translations are not that meaningful, a better
translation would be "Cock cooked with wine".
Until the 20th
century it was common for rural families to have some chickens
(for eggs and meat) and a rooster. The rooster would be kept
until it was too old to perform its duties, at which time it
would be killed and eaten. However, by this time the meat would
be hard and stringy, so cooking it slowly in wine would tend to
soften the meat and make it more edible. As such, the recipe has
historically been considered "peasant food" or "poor people's
food" as the well-off would be able to afford a better cut of
meat which would not require slow cooking in wine in order to be
edible.
In modern times,
few people would choose to eat an old cock. Consequently, most
modern versions use a chicken instead of a cock. As such, if one
was being exact, the recipe would be called "Poule au Vin"
(chicken cooked in wine). However, the old name "coq au vin" is
always used, even if a chicken is substituted for the
traditional cock.
Some people will
use a "capon" (a young, castrated rooster) instead of a chicken
or a cock. This is fairly rare as a "capon" is quite expensive.
Also, the meat of a capon is so fine that one could argue that
it's taste should not be masked by cooking it in wine.
Coq au
Vin - Origin:
The origin of the
recipe is unknown. There are two popular myths as to its source:
Napoleon and Caesar.
The first myth is
that Napoleon unexpectedly stopped at an inn while travelling.
The innkeeper had little food to serve (perhaps due to the
deprivations associated with the Napoleonic wars) aside from an
old rooster and some inferior wine. In desperation, the
innkeeper cooked the rooster in the wine, with onions, herbs and
some vegetables. To everyone's surprise, it was very tasty, too
the point that the recipe became part of the standard French
cuisine.
In fact, while a
pleasant tale, it is defeated by the fact that written records
of the recipe pre-date Napoleon by hundreds of years. However,
it is not impossible that the recipe was re-invented in the
method described.
The other popular
myth holds that when Caesar conquered the area subsequently
known as France, the inhabitants presented him with an old
rooster as tribute. Caesar's cook used wine (which was very
popular with Romans) to make the meat palatable. Again, although
an amusing tale (and expressive of French pride), there is no
historical basis for it.
What is known is
that the recipe is very old (at least 400 years) but did not
become popular until the early 1900s. Since then it has become
one of the best known French recipes, both within and outside of
France. The affordability of chicken and reasonable-quality
wine, as opposed to its traditional old rooster and inferior
wine, has transformed it during the past century into fine
cuisine, from its original roots in poverty and the need not to
waste any food.
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