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Is this the right way to make Coq a vin? 3hrs?

post #1 of 19
1/8/09 at 8:27am
Thread Starter 
Is this the right way to make Coq a vin?

He says to cook it in wine for 3hrs, isn't it usually in the wine (refridgerated) for at least a day?
Eric Ripert | Avec Eric - Cozy Winter Dinner Social
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post #2 of 19
1/8/09 at 8:38am
Coq au vin was originally a way to make a tough old bird tender and edible. As such, there are many methods of preparation--each cook with a tough old bird did their own thing. Personally, I would follow Ripert's instructions, and after step 4, I'd cool the whole thing, refrigerate overnight and then complete step 5 the next day. Great. Now I'm hungry:lol:
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post #3 of 19
1/8/09 at 9:26am
Other than in Paula Wolfert's books, nowhere is it written in stone that any stew must be refrigerated overnight before serving. Okay, I'm exagerrating, but it's generally not an absolute necessity. It does, however, improve the flavor of the stew, as well as making it easier to remove any excess fat (if you want to).

I think jfield pretty much got it right, both on the reasoning for that long cook and for the point at which to refrigerate. If you're using supermarket factory-made chicken, three hours would probably dissolve it :eek:, even at a very low heat as Eric calls for. A chicken with more body to it can cook longer. The main thing to remember is to trust your senses, not be a slave to the timing in the recipe: it you feel, see, smell, etc. that it is done, then it is done.
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post #4 of 19
1/8/09 at 9:50am
If you have the time, it does taste much better the second day. Only thing I would do personally is leave out the mushrooms till the last 30 minutes of cooking, saute them in a little butter first, then add into the casserole.

DC
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post #5 of 19
1/9/09 at 1:47pm
Since Eric is the chef owner of La Bernedine in New York (a Seafood only Restaurant)
I would not say his is the only way. Every chef has his own way. Each adds his or her own touches and originality to a dish This is what makes cooking so great. If everyone did everything in the same way, why would one go to different places? Since they would all be boringly the same foods made the same way. There is no right or wrong way as long as most of the basic procedures are followed.:smiles:
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post #6 of 19
1/9/09 at 1:55pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks I like that idea.

Is there any advantage to letting it sit more than 1 day?
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post #7 of 19
1/9/09 at 3:25pm
Thread Starter 
Should the chicken be cooked all the way through, or just browned on the outside?
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post #8 of 19
1/9/09 at 11:30pm
I know many of you will hate to hear this....but Alton Browns recipe, I actually used for my Faux au vin....but I skipped the overnight part, and it was excellent...really really good.
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post #9 of 19
1/10/09 at 11:24am
Sear the outsides; the "cooking through" process takes place during the long, slow braise.
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post #10 of 19
1/10/09 at 11:25am
Thread Starter 
Faux au vin?
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post #11 of 19
1/10/09 at 1:17pm
I'll always remember how a coq au vin actually made my husband hurl :D

I think we were on a series of bad luck for food when we went to France, and that that infamous coq au vin was just the last straw for him. I think he's suspicious of french cooking now... his face was also a sickly shade of green when we were served andouillette :p
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post #12 of 19
1/10/09 at 2:14pm
definition Faux au vin==== Fake or in place of coq au vin:rolleyes:
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post #13 of 19
1/10/09 at 2:16pm
Thread Starter 
Well thats exactly what happen to mine. Should I have got the chicken at Whole Foods or from a Butcher instead?

Also is the skin suppose to be crispy?
http://aveceric.com/wp-content/eric_..._ds3010508.jpg
On Eric's it looks like it is but mine was soggy.
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post #14 of 19
1/10/09 at 2:17pm
Thread Starter 
So he used a fake chicken?
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post #15 of 19
1/10/09 at 8:29pm
that is just his sense of humor. One cannot buy old, tough birds from the mega-mart, therefore we do not make true coq a vin, rather faux a vin! :lips:
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post #16 of 19
1/11/09 at 7:06am
Thread Starter 
Ah, makes sense now.

Would this work better with a turkey?
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post #17 of 19
1/11/09 at 8:10am
I would probably work best with wild fowl, or a free-range older bird if you can find it. Most turkeys are bred to be almost fat free, and as such, aren't the best choice for this application. If you do want turkey, use only thighs and drumsticks--same for chicken.
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post #18 of 19
1/11/09 at 9:29am
Peter Graham, a Brit expat, writes, in his book Mourjou: The Life and Food of an Auvergne Village, calls for a coq "at least two years old.". Richard Olney, in The French Menu Cookbook, suggests a cock that is between 10 and 12 months of age.

IMO, a really good Coq au Vin cannot be made with a whole, typical supermarket frying chicken. The breast will dry out unless added later in the cooking process, and, in that case, the meat will not cook long enough in the wine to fully develop a good flavor. If you are relegated to a supermarket chicken - or, for that matter, most any young fryer, try using only thighs and drumsticks. They have more flavor and, since all the meat requires the same cooking time, the chicken will have a better balanced flavor and marination.

A fine option is to go to a good poultry store and get a stewing hen if you can't get an older coq.

I like Olney's method best of the several that I've tried, but Graham's method as described in his book is quite good as well. Ripert's method leaves much to be desired.
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post #19 of 19
1/11/09 at 1:07pm
The chicken isnt fake the method or procedure is:cry:
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