Coq au vin is a legendary French dish that seems incredibly insufferable both to pronounce and make, but its reputation for precious fussiness is completely unwarranted.
The roots of the dish have been traced to both ancient Gaul and Julius Caesar, but it took Julia Child to introduce it to the non-French natives via her 1961 tome Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
In theory, the preparation should be a rooster, braised with a red Burgundy wine, lardons, mushrooms and sometimes garlic, but in reality, it’s a chicken stew with whatever non-white vino you’ve got rattling around your liquor cabinet.
We hit up two of our favorite chefs for their takes on coq au vin. Angela Carkner, owner of farm-to-table mainstay Roux, gave us a beautifully Americanized version that allows working parents to get it on the table midweek, and Wishing Well executive chef Patrick Brown delivered a classic interpretation of the dish, perfect for date night.
And yes, your family will still probably roll their eyes when you announce your plans to make it, so brace yourself.
Roux’s Mid-Week Coq
