Coq au vin
Serves 8
- 1 tbsp duck fat
- 50g (2oz) butter
- 2 cockerels, jointed
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 150g (5oz) smoked bacon lardons
- 32 small shallots or pickling onions, peeled
- 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 bottles good pinot noir
- Salt and pepper
- Splash of cognac (optional)
Find your biggest casserole and heat it up.
Add the duck fat and butter, then dust the cockerel with flour and brown all the pieces thoroughly. Put them to one side.
In the same pan brown the bacon, onions and garlic. Now add the purée and pop the cockerel back in.
Add the thyme and enough wine to cover.
Simmer in a 325ºF/160ºC/Gas Mark 3 oven for three hours or until very tender.
To serve, haul all the meat out of the pan and put in a serving dish. Put the liquid on the heat and reduce to the consistency required. Season to taste, add an optional shot of cognac and pour over the meat.