Coq au Vin my way

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 poulard(s), fresh, at least 1.2 kg, preferably from French breeding
• 3 shallots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 100 g celery
• 50 g carrot(s)
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• 1 sprig(s) of thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cloves
• 6 peppercorns, crushed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 bottle of red wine from Burgundy
• 1 dashes of cognac
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
• 250 g mushrooms
• 1 tbsp Clarified butter, for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest period approx. 1 day; Total time approx. 1 day 30 minutes

Rooster braised in red wine

Chop the vegetables and sauté in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the herbs and spices and deglaze with the wine and cognac. Bring everything to a boil and set aside to cool. Divide the chicken as follows: Remove the breast, cut it in half, and then cut each half again. Cleanly remove the legs, halve the back if necessary, or use the wings to make a broth for cooking the side dishes. Remove the skin from the breasts and legs and place them in the now cold marinade for 2 days. Stir frequently. After 2 days, remove the meat, dry thoroughly, season with salt and pepper, and brown in oil. Strain the marinade through a sieve and braise it slowly with the chicken pieces in a cast-iron casserole dish, preferably a cast-iron one. Since the legs take considerably longer to cook, I would add the breasts in the last 20 minutes or so. When everything is cooked, remove the meat, set it aside, and reduce the marinade. During this time, fry the cleaned and quartered mushrooms in clarified butter, season with salt and pepper. When the marinade has reduced sufficiently, strain it through a sieve, add the meat pieces and mushrooms, and serve. You can also serve vegetables like potatoes, carrots, etc., cooked in the broth from the wings and back, as a side dish. It’s essential to purchase a very good wine and a truly high-quality animal to create such an incomparably delicious dish.