Coq Au Vin Blanc: A Peasant Dish From Julius Ceasar

Coq au vin is a staple dish in traditional French bistros. You’ll often find it on the menu as a plat du jour, and there’s nothing quite like it, especially when accompanied by some crusty French bread. It’s rustic. It’s rich and it smells incredible, bubbling away on the stove while the wine works its magic.

But while the classic version simmers in red wine and gets all the attention, there’s a lesser-known twist I’ve fallen for, coq au vin blanc. Lighter in color but just as full of flavor, this version uses white wine and brings a whole new brightness to the dish.

But before we get into how to make it (and my take on the recipe), let’s dig into where this dish came from, and why it’s still a favorite in French country kitchens today.

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Coq Au Vin Blanc – A Twist On The Original Recipe

Living in a place called Chez le Coq, where we all have little rooster statues, this recipe seems very fitting. Now, usually, coq au vin is made with red wine, but I’m using white. So it’s Coq au Vin Blanc.

My French neighbour and friend Anne is an amazing cook, and she told me to never be afraid to experiment. Her Coq au Vin is absolutely delicious.

The last time I had it, it was made with mushrooms foraged from the forest nearby. There’s a whole story behind how the French love to forage in my post about what it’s like to live in France.

I recently watched a show about the fabulous cook Julia Child, called Julia. It really was brilliant and starred Sarah Lancashire and David Hyde Pierce. But it made me realize it’s never too late to develop a love of cooking.

Julia herself said, “I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.”

I love that. So, I’m taking a leaf out of Julia’s book and, at the age of 51, am developing my newfound passion for cooking.

Where did Coq au Vin originate from?

If you’re anything like me, then you love to know the origins behind a dish, and the French have plenty of stories to tell when it comes to food.

This dish is a peasant dish made with leftovers originating from the Burgundy region of France. Legend has it that it dates back to the Gauls and Julius Caesar.

The rooster itself was seen as a symbol of valour to the Gauls.

The story goes that the leader of the Gauls sent a rooster to Julius Caesar as a show of strength. Basically saying that they’d never be beaten. A bit of a fingers up or middle finger.

The rooster was promptly sent back by the Romans, but cooked in wine to show they weren’t intimidated by this. And they promptly defeated the Gauls.

How true this is, we’ll never know, but it’s a great story and one I’m happy to go with. However, the first recorded recipe was around 1864 in the book ‘Cookery for English Households’. It mirrored Coq au Vin, although it was called ‘Poulet au Vin Blanc’.

How To Cook Coq Au Vin Blanc

What ingredients go into this dish?

Good question. Coq au Vin Blanc doesn’t have lots of complicated ingredients. If you’re sticking with the traditional recipe, then you’ll use mushrooms along with the chicken, bacon, onions, garlic, cream, and wine.

However, I popped a carrot in with mine to add some colour. Plus, I’d just received some carrots straight from the garden of my next-door neighbour, Claud the farmer.

“ “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces—just good food from fresh ingredients.””

What cut of chicken should you use?

Really, you can use any cut of chicken for this dish. I tend to favour chicken thighs, but I’ve also made it with breasts and legs. 

Remember, with many French dishes, it’s about using whatever you have available. Expensive cuts of meat aren’t usually the order of the day.

In fact, another story I heard about this dish was that it used only meat that was too tough to roast. Anne told me the main thing to remember with the meat is to keep the skin on the chicken. This helps with the flavour because you brown the skin first before leaving it to cook in the pot.

Which wine is best for Coq au Vin Blanc?

One of the things I loved about making this dish was how easy the sauce was to make. There was no constant stirring, and not too many ingredients.

You don’t need to go really expensive with the wine either. And as we all know, you can get a good bottle of wine in France for very little money.

I used a crisp Sauvignon Blanc for this recipe as hubby loves a glass of white. That way, as the recipe only calls for half a bottle, he could enjoy a glass or two with his meal. 

I’m not a white wine fan, I’m afraid. It’s red or rose for me.

How to make the creamy white wine sauce

The base ingredient for the sauce is bacon. Quick side note, I substituted bacon for Chorizo as that’s what I had in the fridge. It has a slightly more overpowering taste, but it still worked well. 

The first step is to crisp up the bacon to really bring out the flavors. Then remove the bacon from the pan and add the chicken, browning on both sides.

Once you’ve removed the chicken, it’s time to add the onion and garlic. When they’re translucent, add a swig of white wine to the pan.

This will help you to scrape up the bacon bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. It all adds flavor.

Once you’ve deglazed the pot, add half a bottle of wine, then return the bacon and chicken, along with the carrots and mushrooms, cover, and simmer for approximately 35 minutes.

It’s that simple. The cream isn’t added till the end when you leave the lid off and it all starts to reduce.

You’re then left with a thick and creamy white wine sauce that is simply delicious.

The only way to mop it up is with a nice crispy baguette. Bon appétit et merci beaucoup!

Quick Cooking Notes

• Chicken Selection: Opt for a high-quality, locally raised, free-range chicken. It’s ideal for the depth of flavour the dish requires.
• Preparation: Use a whole bird, which is how this dish was meant to be created, and section it into eight parts: two drumsticks, two thighs, two wings, and two breasts. Ask your butcher for help if you’re unsure about doing it yourself. Save the carcass for making stock.
• Pre-cooking: Bring the chicken pieces to room temperature about two hours before cooking. Ensure the skin is dry for optimal crispness during cooking.
• Ingredients: Replace traditional lardons with bacon cut into matchsticks to add a robust flavour.
• Wine Selection: Opt for a dry, crisp white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Alternatively, for a twist, use a slightly sweeter Riesling to mimic the Alsace variation of the dish.

FAQS: Making Coq Au Vin

Coq Au Vin Blanc

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

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Ingredients

• 6 pieces of Chicken on the bone with the skin on (cuisse de poulet)
• 125gm of Lardons (bacon)
• 3 Cloves of Garlic chopped (ail)
• 1 x Onion Diced (oignon)
• 125gm Mushrooms (champignons)
• 1 Carrot Sliced – optional (carotte)
• 200 ml of Single Cream (La Crème légère épaisse en poche de Normandie)
• ½ Bottle of White Wine – (vin blanc)
• Salt & Pepper
• Asparagus or Green Beans (asperges or haricots vert)
• Crusty Baguette
• Olive Oil

Instructions

<h4>Step 1 </h4><ol><p>As always, do your prep first so you’re ready to cook. Pull out a good-sized pan or Dutch oven to cook everything in. Dice the onions, chop the garlic, peel and dice the carrot (if using), and halve the mushrooms. If you’re not using lardons, then roughly chop your bacon. Open your bottle of wine and you’re all set.</p></ol><h4>Step 2 </h4><ol><p>Add a dash of olive oil to the pan and fry the lardons until they’re nice and crispy. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set them aside in a fairly large dish that has enough room for the chicken.</p></ol><h4>Step 3 </h4><ol><p>If needed, add another spoonful of olive oil and fry the onions until they’re translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for about 60 seconds. Add a glug of wine to scrape everything off the bottom, then return everything else, including your vegetables, to the pot. </p></ol><h4>Step 4 </h4><ol><p>Pour about half the bottle of wine into the pot, but don’t completely submerge your chicken. Ensure the top of the chicken remains visible. Place the lid on and cook over medium heat for approximately 30-35 minutes.</p></ol><h4>Step 5 </h4><ol><p>Add the cream and stir it i,n and leave it to simmer for ten minutes. Do a quick taste test and add more salt & pepper if needed.</p></ol><h4>Step 6 </h4><ol><p>Serve with a side dish of asparagus and French beans and, of course, a fresh, crusty baguette.</p></ol>