You know it's a good meal when...

The recipe calls for a bottle of red wine, right at the beginning. And no, we're not talking Keith Floyd stylee (ie you DRINK a bottle of red wine, right at the beginning!)

 

This was our version of a 'best ever coq au vin' recipe which we printed off the BBC website a few years ago and seems to have disappeared. As you can see, chicken, shallots and a stack of veg all marinate with thyme overnight in a bottle of red. You then take the (now bright pink) chicken out of the marinade, coat it in seasoned flour and fry it. You also take the veg out and fry that, and then flambee it in a bit of brandy! You then rebuild the stock (chicken, veg and marinade) back in the casserole dish and add some chicken stock & cook for hours and hours and hours in the oven. It thickens itself, and the red wine all turns to gravy. Yumeee!