A fragrant concoction of chicken, red wine, and vegetables braising in the oven is just what the winter ordered. This recipe is inspired by coq au vin, a traditional country French dish. The origin of coq au vin (which translates to “rooster cooked in wine”) is steeped in frugality, embracing a slow cook to tenderize an old rooster or retired hen. The resulting fragrant stew was (and is) deliciously heady in aromatics and wine and a comforting salve in the cold weather season.
For those of us craving a similar ambient dinner at our home (which is sadly not a stone farmhouse nestled in the rolling hills of Burgundy, where we spend our days growing our own ingredients), we must rely on more modern and accessible interpretations to realize our steamy vessel of coq au vin….