At a glance
This showstopping French braise takes nearly 3 hours of gentle simmering, but most of that time is hands-off — you'll be rewarded with incredibly tender rooster infused with deep wine flavors. The key steps are browning the meat, building a rich sauce with red wine and tomato, then finishing with crispy bacon and caramelized vegetables just before serving.
1/8
Cut the rooster into portions
Divide the rooster into portions. Cut the thighs in two. I left the breasts whole, but it really depends on the size of the bird. It's best to cook this in a large, heavy pot that holds heat well — a cast-iron pot worked best for me.
For this step
0/12/8
Brown with the other ingredients
Sauté the chopped onion in oil until translucent. Add the pieces of meat and let them brown briefly. Add the herbs and celery stalks cut into larger pieces, then pour in the red wine. The meat needs to be fully submerged.
For this step
0/73/8
Add the purée and jam
If the wine isn't quite enough, top it up with stock. Season with salt and pepper. Finally, stir in the tomato purée and plum jam. The original recipe called for redcurrant jam, but I couldn't get hold of any.
For this step
0/4
How it went
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