Celebrated annually on May 29 is National Coq Au Vin Day. Coq au vin is French for “rooster with wine”. Indeed, rooster is slowly cooked in a rich sauce, made from wine, mushrooms, garlic and lardons (salted pork). In the USA the dish was slightly changed – chicken is used instead of rooster and ham replaced lardons.
Different legends tell of Coq au vin back in the days of Gaul and Julius Caesar. However, the first documented recipe was in the early 20th century. There was a somewhat similar recipe, poulet au vin blanc, that appeared in an 1864 cookbook.
Enjoy this Coq Au Vin recipe.
By the way, the older the rooster, the better the dish. Old roosters have more connective tissues that create a richer broth.