Coq au vin—such humble roots for what’s become a classic comfort food. Back in the “olden days” French peasants used red wine to braise the tough old roosters and non-laying hens, to add flavour but mainly to tenderize the birds.

I like to make it using bone-in pieces of the chicken, as the classic versions, because it’s tastier that way. You could certainly use chicken breast meat; it’s easier to eat. I suppose it depends on how much you want to muck around in the stew and how hard you want to work at it.

Below is my recipe, which I’ve adapted from the very proper, very classic Julia Child version; this one’s a fair bit simpler. I serve it with boiled baby new potatoes, skins on, and fresh peas. And a baguette, or some other crusty bread to sop up the leftovers.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• frying chicken, cut into pieces
• 10 or 12 pearl onions, cooked until soft. If you can’t get pearl onions, just chop up regular ones and use those.
• 1/2 pound sliced, sautéed mushrooms
• 2 cups red wine (Burgundy’s my favourite for this)
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 to 2 cups brown chicken stock
• 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon herbs deprovence
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter

In a heavy large heavy bottomed pot, heat oil on medium. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken parts, then sear each piece of chicken until browned.

Add onions and mushrooms, and then pour 2 cups of the wine into the pot, along with enough stock to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, and herbs. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is tender.

While the chicken is cooking, pour the third cup of red wine into a nice glass, and drink it. Or, drink it straight from the measuring cup, we don’t judge here.

In a cup or small bowl, blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste (this is called a beurre manie, used for thickening liquids). Add the paste into the hot liquid, stirring with a wire whip as you go.  Bring to the simmer, stirring and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. You’ll see the sauce thicken as the starches in the flour heat and swell.

Once the stew has thickened, serve it and allow it to give you the warm internal hug that only a good stew can do.