Behind the French Menu: Vin Jaune

Showing posts with label Vin Jaune. Show all posts

Coq au Vin: Best with a Rooster, but still Brilliant with Chicken.

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Behind tnhe French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
bryangnewman@gmail.com

Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin began as a large meal prepared for holidays or family celebrations, and it would have been enough for ten or more diners. The cockerel used for the traditional Coq au Vin was a big, old bird (a rooster in the USA) that had ceased to make the ladies happy. In the 19^th century those birds would have weighed at least five kilos (11 lbs.’). Today, a French restaurant serving "Coq au Vin Traditionnel," the traditional version of the dish, may have to settle for a somewhat smaller bird today, but it will still be enough for six or more diners.

Out-of-work cockerels headed for the pot are large birds. Even today, most mature French cockerels weigh over two and a half kilos (over five pounds), with some weighing up to 50% more. These are free-range birds and while they are very flavorful, they require a long cooking time. (In the absence of a true farmyard cockerel, a large, free-range hen, retired from her egg-laying days, serves as the closest replacement. Age and size provide the deep, savory character that defines a classic Coq au Vin.)

Preparing a cockerel for the pot requires marinating the bird in red wine (or a flavorful alternative), often with an added eau-de-vie chosen for its particular taste, for at least 24 hours. Once the marinade has done its work, the dish is cooked very slowly with more red wine, herbs, and chicken broth. When the meat is nearly falling off the bone, the vegetables, mushrooms, and bacon are added; after the flavors have been allowed to meld, the dish may be served.

Coq au Vin comes with many distinctive regional variations:

Coq à la Bière – A cockerel marinated in beer rather than wine; traditionally, this dish is prepared with a bière brune (brown beer). A local eau-de-vie and crème fraîche are often added to the sauce to provide richness and depth. While the use of beer suggests a Belgian influence, the dish is a staple in the regions of Alsace and Lorraine, which together produce over 50% of France's beer.

Coq au Champagne – In the Champagne region, local restaurants serve their own version of Coq au Vin. If an eau-de-vie is used in the marinade alongside the Champagne, it is typically a Marc de Champagne (the French counterpart to Italian Grappa). Outside of Champagne, similar dishes appear on menus using local Crémant sparkling wines. However, locally, the only wine served to accompany this dish is Champagne.

Coq au Riesling – This is the Coq au Vin of Alsace. The use of a crisp, dry, and fruity Alsatian Riesling AOP transforms the dish into a bright, aromatic, and unique experience. Unlike the deep reds of the south, this version highlights the delicate, floral notes of the white wine and is often finished with a touch of cream.

Coq au Vin de Bourgogne – The region of Burgundy, home to world-renowned vineyards and the classic à la bourguignonne style, has always featured a local version of Coq au Vin for festivities. Chefs have an array of excellent red wines from which to choose. Likewise, the wine chosen to accompany a traditional Coq au Vin de Bourgogne should also be a local red. However, for those who prefer a white wine, a Crémant de Bourgogne, the region’s wonderful sparkling white, serves as a celebratory alternative.

Coq au Vin
Photograph courtesy of Neeta Lind
https://www.flickr.com/photos/neeta_lind/2048138042/

Coq au Vin de Chanturgue or Coq au Vin Auvergnat – Coq au Vin de Chanturgue is almost universally accepted as the first restaurant version of the dish. This version originated in the mid-19th century in the Auvergne (now part of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), in central France. The wine used is Chanturgue, a medium-bodied red wine from the volcanic slopes overlooking the city of Clermont-Ferrand. Visit a restaurant in the Auvergne today that offers Coq au Vin de Chanturgue, and you should have a meal close to the original.

Until the late 1800s, the Auvergne was France's third most prestigious wine-growing region after the wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy. Then came phylloxera, a root-eating aphid that attacked and destroyed untold numbers of the best vines all over France and descimated the Auvergne wine industry. Much of the French wine industry was saved by importing from the USA and the Middle East phylloxera-resistant rootstock; however, in the Auvergne, many vintners gave up. A few carried on, and you can visit and try their traditional wines, including the Vin de Chanturgue, and newer wines added in the last fifty years.

If you are planning a trip to the Auvergne view their English language website:

https://www.france-voyage.com/travel-guide/auvergne-territoire.htm

Then, compare the maps for the Route des Vins d’Auvergne, the wine road of the Auvergne and the Route des Fromages de Auvergne, the cheese trails of the five famous cheeses of the Auvergne. There are places where the routes are close to each other and you can visit a winery in the morning and a farm that produces cheese in the afternoon. There are plenty of well-recommended restaurants on both maps. (The five famous cheeses of the Auvergne are: Saint-Nectaire, Bleu d’Auvergene, Fourme d’Ambert, Cantal and Salers.)

Coq au Vin Jaune – This special version of Coq au Vin is made with the famous Vin Jaune (yellow wine) from the Jura (a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region bordering Switzerland). Vin Jaune is made using the Savagnin grape and aged for a minimum of six years and three months. The wine tastes somewhat like a dry Fino sherry after it ages under a naturally formed yeast in oak barrels. Unlike sherry, Vin Jaune is not fortified with added alcohol, though most still have 13-15% alcohol.

Vin Jaune from the Jura.
Photograph courtesy of Dominic Lockyer
https://www.flickr.com/photos/farehamwine/14874763437/

The requirements for a genuine Coq au Vin.

With Coq Au Vin so much in demand, there are problems for those who wish to keep to the original recipe. Two hundred year ago all chickens were raised free-range, and to maintain order in a flock a cockerel (rooster) was usually in charge. Today, there are far fewer flocks of free-range hens, creating a collateral shortage of suitable old cockerels.

The meat of a free-range cockerel has a much stronger flavor than any chicken. That, along with the wine chosen, is the secret behind the taste of a real Coq Au Vin. When Coq au Vin left the farms and homes and began to be served in restaurants, it quickly became very popular and has remained so for close to 200 years.

A cockerel strutting his stuff to impress the ladies.
Photograph courtesy of svklimkin
https://www.flickr.com/photos/svklimkin/35655283910/

Ordering Coq Au Vin or chicken stew.

If you order coq au vin and are served a bowl with a small chicken, about enough for a meal for four, then it may be an excellent stew, but I am sorry, that is not a traditional Coq Au Vin. It will just be a tasty chicken stew prepared in the style of a Coq au Vin. In France, there are self-confident chefs who keep to the traditions and offer a large chicken as a Fricassée de Poularde, Façon Coq au Vin, a chicken stew prepared in the manner of Coq Au Vin. These chefs are not embarrassed to tell it like it is, and the price charged will be that of a well-prepared chicken stew but not a traditional Coq Au Vin.

Recipe for a chicken in the style of Coq au Vin.
Recipe and photograph courtesy of Cookipedia

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Behind the French Menu

Bryan G. Newman

bryangnewman@gmail.com

Connected posts:

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Bleu d'Auvergne AOP, - The Bleu d'Auvergne French Blue Cheese. Bleu d'Auvergne in French Cuisine.

Cantal AOP and Salers AOP. Two of France’s Best Cow’s Milk Cheeses.

Champagne the most famous sparkling wine in the world and Choosing the Champagne that Meets your Sweetness Preferences.

Crémants are the best value in French sparkling wines

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Dining in the Auvergne. Auvergnat dishes on French Menus.

Fourme d'Ambert AOP - One of France's Finest Mild Blue Cheeses. The Fourme d'Ambert in French Cuisine.

Saint Nectaire AOP - Saint Nectaire Cheese. Saint Nectaire is an AOP Cow's Milk Cheese from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

The Fourme d'Ambert AOP; One of the Auvergne's VerySpecial cheeses.

The Vins de Jura - The Wines of the French Jura. Jura Wines on French Menus.

Vins d'Alsace - The Wonderful White Wines of the Alsace, France.

Morbier AOP - Morbier is a Rich, Creamy, 45% fat, French, Cow’s Milk Cheese.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Morbier AOP

Photograph courtesy of Les 3 Comtois

Morbier AOP is a rich, creamy, 28% fat cow’s milk cheese made with non-pasteurized milk. The cheese is made in the French Departments of Jura and Doubs in mountainous regions that become ski centers in the winter. An export version of the cheese made with pasteurized milk is available, and both versions are matured for a minimum of two months before being sold. The cheese is a yellow to ivory colored soft to semi-soft cheese. N.B. When you open a new Morbier cheese, you will immediately note its strong smell but "worry not" this is a rich, creamy, and tasty cheese.

Aging Morbier cheese

Photograph courtesy of leprogress.

The same region in the Jura that produces the Morbier AOP cheese also produces France’ fabulous Comté AOP hard, yellow, cow’s milk cheese, and from the department of Daubs comes the soft, cow’s milk cheese the Le Mont d'Or AOP also called the Vacherin du Haut-Doubs AOP

A wedge of Morbier AOP

Photograph courtesy of Alpha

https://www.flickr.com/photos/avlxyz/4985911507/sizes/m/

Upon seeing a Morbier cheese for the first time, the obvious point of interest is the separation of the cheese into two layers. Originally these layers were made with a thin layer of charcoal, but today it is a vegetable separation. Then separation marked two different cheeses; the lower half made with the milk from the morning milking and the upper half made with the milk from the evening milking, today that is no longer the case, but tradition is tradition. The cheese has been made for at least 300 years from when it was first recorded in the 18th century; it would become popular throughout France in the early 20th century.

Morbier paired

Photograph courtesy of Brett Jones

The Morbiflette

Like nearly all French cheeses Morbier AOP has an important place reserved on the cheese platter, but it also has a prominent place on the local menus. The most famous Morbier cheese dish is the Morbiflette. The Morbiflette is a traditional dish, much like a Reblochonade or Tartiflette which is made with the Reblochon cheese. In a traditional Morbiflette a wedge of cheese is melted and poured over boiled potatoes, small pickled onions and smoked bacon pieces flavored with nutmeg; it makes a delicious winter dish. However, this is the traditional farmhouse Morbiflette recipe, and so, in restaurants, you may expect additions. Here are two examples:.

Morbiflette - Roesti, Morbier, Jambon de Montagne, Jambon Cru – A Morbiflette prepared with roestis, m ountain ham and cured ham. (Roestis are an originally Swiss dish of grated fried potatoes; they may also be on a menu as crêpes de pomme de terre and may be described as grated potato fritters).

La Morbiflette - Gratin de Pommes de Terre, Lardons, Morbier, servi avec Charcuterie et Salade - Potatoes browned in the oven with Morbier cheese and served with bacon pieces alongside cold meats and a salad.

Two Morbiflettes ready for serving.

Photograph courtesy of Marmiton

Other dishes with Morbier cheese on French menus:

Galette de Maïs, Confit d'Oignons, Morbier Fondu, Salade, Jambon Cuit Fumé – A corn meal, in the USA maize flour, crepe prepared with an onion jam and smoked cooked ham covered with melted Morbier cheese.

Gratinée d'Escargots de Bourgogne au Morbier - Burgandy snails prepared with Morbier cheese and browned under the grill.

Nem de Saucisse de Morteau et Morbier. – A spring roll containing the Saucisse de Morteau and Morbier cheese. The Saucisse de Morteau is an AOP smoked pork salami type sausage that may be eaten without any additional cooking; nevertheless, it is often grilled or fried when made part of other dishes.

Learning to ski in the French Jura.

Photograph courtesy of Nicolas Buffler

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nicolasbuffler/16349681650/

Filet Mignon au Morbier et Jambon Cru Ht Doubs – A cut from a pork tenderloin, the fillet in the UK, served with a Morbier cheese sauce and cured ham of the Haute Doubs. N.B. A French filet mignon if not precisely described as a beef or veal filet mignon is always pork.

Tagliatelles Fraiches Sauce au Morbier et Saucisse de Morteau – Fresh tagliatelle pasta served with a sauce made with Morbier cheese and the Saucisse de Morteau AOP. (Tagliatelle is the long flat thin pasta, originally Italian, that may be up to 1 cm wide).

The French departments of Jura and Doubs are part of the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The departments of Jura and Daubs border Switzerland. For more about the joining together of the regions of Bourgogne, Burgundy and Franche-Comté into the super region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté along with other changes in France’s regions click here.

The weights of Morbier cheeses.

Whole Morbier cheeses weigh from 6-8 kilos (13.2 lbs – 17.6 lbs) with a half size cheese weighing 3 kilos. Even the half size cheese too large to take home for most of us so buy a half kilo (1.1 lb) or 1 kilo (2.2 lb) wedge in vacuum packaging which most serious
fromageries, cheese shops, offer.

Buying Morbier cheese.

For my post on buying cheese in France and taking it home click here.

The village of Morbier

The cheese takes its name from the village of Morbier in the department of Jura in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Today the village and the communities around it have a population of just over 2,000, but not everyone in the village is making cheese, and so it is made in farms and dairies in other parts of the Jura and Daubs. Morbier is 58 km (36 miles) from Geneva, Switzerland and 96 km (60 miles) from Besançon the regional capital of Franche-Comté.

The village of Morbier

Photograph courtesy of Bookine

Other famous products and activities of the Jura and Doubs

The Jura in winter is one of France’s most famous skiing regions, but among France’s chefs, it is better known for its fantastic wines, sausages, and cheeses. The Jura’s wines include their Vin Jaune AOP, their yellow wine, that is matured for at least six and a half years and though it is not fortified like sherry it tastes much like a dry Fino sherry. The Jura also produces their Vin de Paille AOP, a sweet dessert wine, and their great but inexpensive sparkling Crémant du Jura AOP.

Vin Jaune Chateau-Chalon

Vin Jaune come is a distinctively shaped bottle called the clavelin.

Photograph courtesy of Dominic Lockyer

https://www.flickr.com/photos/farehamwine/14894950670/

Not forgotten is the Jura's liquor the Macvin AOP; which is produced in a similar manner to Pineau de Charente of Cognac and Pommeau from Calvados; it is an eau-de vie mixed with a fermenting wine and drunk cold as an aperitif. The department of Doubs is also famous for its smoked Saucisse de Montbéliard a smoked pork sausage along with its even more famous cousin, with a different taste, the Saucisse de Morteau AOP pork sausage.