American comfort foods—macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, vanilla ice cream—tend to have one thing in common, aside from massive quantities of fat and/or sodium: They’re white. Coq au Vin, the classic French comfort food, is nearly the opposite. Chicken is slow-cooked with bacon, mushrooms, and red wine to reveal what Anthony Bourdain calls a “magical” dish: rich and dark and soul-warming. Coq au Vin is beautiful and sophisticated, and can serve as an impressive dinner party offering.
Here are five recipes for the perfect Coq au Vin:
1. Coq au Vin by James Beard The godfather of American cooking takes a successful stab at the French classic.
2. Coq au Riesling by Nigella Lawson The Alsatian version of Coq au Vin is streamlined for a weeknight meal by the Domestic Goddess herself.
3. Coq au Vin by Victoria Blashford-Snell and Brigitte Hafner This recipe can be made and frozen for up to three months to be reheated when you’re feeling blue.
4. Coq au Vin by Anothony Bourdain This is a two-day production, but worth every minute.
5. Chicken with Riesling by Richard Grausman This recipe offers a variation for Coq au Champagne, so you can choose your region of origin.
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