A North Country take on a French Classic
You will need:
A crock (pot)
A coq (cock/rooster/capon)*
A quarter cup of catsup (ketchup)
Three bottles of beer!
You may also add some of your favorite barbecue (BBQ) sauce,
mustard, and/or French dressing to flavor
Put everything into the crock pot,
and cook all day.
Voilà!
*Only two roosters were harmed in the making of this dish.
But don't worry, they were mean old birds.
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The real coq au vin recipe comes from the French countryside. Farm wives would put the rooster into a wrought iron pot on the stove, along with various vegetables and a bottle of wine, and would stew it all day long. That way, when the men came in from working in the fields in the evening, dinner would be all ready for them. Rooster meat is pretty tough stuff. The acid in the wine (or, in this case, in the beer and the ketchup via vinegar and tomato juice) works with the heat to break down the sinews in the meat. Ours was falling off the bone! While it still remains a little chewy, the taste is fantastic. It's also very filling---great after a long day of work.
You really don't need a rooster for this dish; you can use a regular chicken. The softer your meat, the jucier and more tender it will turn out. Don't be afraid to add vegetables or even other kinds of meat, such as bacon or salt pork, for flavor and contrast.
Personally, I like mine on a sandwich of homemade bread ala pulled pork style with some pasta salad. And, since the beer was some of our own home-brewed stuff, it goes great with a big, fat glass of that, too! Ahhh.
Personally, I like mine on a sandwich of homemade bread ala pulled pork style with some pasta salad. And, since the beer was some of our own home-brewed stuff, it goes great with a big, fat glass of that, too! Ahhh.
How do you like yours?
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