Coq au vin

Now I was told or so it is said that Caesar first presented the Gauls with this dish.  It is said that he took a old scrawny chicken and turned it to a delicious dish by long slow cooking.  He invited the Gauls to share the dish and they had to admit that the knowledge of the Romans could only benefit them.  The Gauls surrender and accepted the civilization and rule of Rome.  Now I do not think that is what actually happened but if history has shown us one thing, it is that strange things can happen. If you are going to make this properly, first you have to marinade your chicken and then slow cook it in a oven with a dish with a lid.  Take the dish to the table and then take the lid off so the smell fills the room.  

To start with you will need

1 bottle good red wine

1 small onion

2 sticks celery

1 carrot

4 garlic cloves

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

4 large chicken joints 

1 tbsp olive oil

100g/3½oz smoked bacon cut into large cubes

1 tbsp plain flour

25g/1oz butter

20 button onions, peeled

20 button mushrooms

3 tbsp cognac

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

3-4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

First take your chicken, get it in a bowl, and then cover it with the red wine.  Get this in the fridge and cover it and let it all sit for about five or six hours or over night. You really need the flavour of the wine to get in to the chicken.  As for the wine, you have to use one that you can drink.  If not then bad wine will make bad food.

Once you have done this, take the chicken out of the wine, and let it dry.  Then get it in to some flour and make sure that it gets cover.  Then season them well with salt and pepper. Now add the oil and butter in to a frying pan and let it heat up and start to fry the bacon.  Once the bacon is cooked nice, and brown add that to the casserole dish.  Then fry off the chicken till it is browned off and get that in to the casserole dish.

Now take all your vegetables the celery, onion and celery, that have been diced and fry them of till soft and cover the chicken.  Then take the red wine from the marinade and deglaze the pan and pour that over the chicken. Add your garlic crushed, thyme and bay leaves.  Then finally take the whole lot and pop it in to the oven set at 170c/325f for about one hour.

After it has been in the oven for an hour take your mushrooms and button onions and sauté them in a little butter.  Flame with the brandy, then add it to the top of the casserole, and put it all back in the oven for another twenty minuets or so.

Then take it to the table and remove the lid and sprinkle with some chopped parsley.

I do not know if the Gauls could have been conquered by cooking but if you eat this, you could understand why .