International Coq Au Vin Day

Today is International Coq Au Vin Day! Coq Au Vin is French for “rooster with wine." It is a popular dish made with braised chicken that is slowly cooked with red wine, mushrooms, pork fat, and various spices. According to some legends, Coq Au Vin has ties to Julius Caesar or Napoleon, but most historians agree that the dish has more humble roots. Roosters are only butchered when they are quite old and rather inedible. Peasant families most likely invented the Coq Au Vin recipe to avoid wasting the meat.

Coq Au Vin became popular in the United States thanks to Julia Child, who featured the dish in her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It also appeared many times on her TV show "The French Chef." Today, it is a popular dish in many French restaurants, but it is also a fabulous dish to cook at home. 

To celebrate International Coq Au Vin Day, embrace your inner chef and plan a French-inspired dinner. Bon Appétit!