Coq au Vin (Rooster in Red Wine)
·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.
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.
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.
Let it simmer
Cover with a lid and let it simmer gently for 2.5–3 hours.
Fry the bacon and vegetables
About 15 minutes before the cooking time is up, fry the smoked bacon, cut into strips. Remove the bacon from the pan and, in the rendered fat, fry the diced parsley root and celeriac.
Fry the carrots
Remove them and set aside. Add a little more oil to the pan if needed, and fry the chopped carrots.
Reduce the sauce
Add the vegetables to the braising rooster and let everything simmer together for another 10 minutes. Remove the meat, turn up the heat and let the sauce reduce to the desired consistency. Finish by stirring in a knob of butter.
Serving
Serve with the crispy fried bacon, rustic pain à l'ancienne bread, or alternatively with mashed potatoes nicely finished with a touch of onion.