By Guest Chef, Jean-Christophe Novelli.
This dish can be traced back as far as the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar, where a tribal leader of the Arverne tribe taunted the Romans by sending Caesar a rooster, which was a symbol of Gaul bravery. Caesar, in return, invited him to eat the rooster which he’d had cooked in red wine.
Serves: 4-6 adults, as a main course
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes
Difficulty: 4 out of 5
Ingredients
- 6 chicken legs, cut through the joint into 12 pieces with skin left on
- 4 onions, quartered
- 8 shallots, halved lengthways
- 1 garlic bulb, sliced in half width-ways and unpeeled
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 4 bay leaves
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp organic cocoa powder
- 1 tsp cornflour, mixed with 1 tsp cold water
- good quality Loire Valley red wine, enough to cover
- 1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways
- cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- basmati rice to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan), 200°C (non-fan) or gas mark 6
- Seal the chicken pieces in a very hot, large non-stick sauté pan with a lid, and brown them all over
- Add approximately 100ml water to help to speed up this process
- Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate
- Pour away the excess fat and juices from the pan
- In the same pan, on a moderate heat, add the onions, shallots and garlic then cover
- Cook slowly for a couple of minutes, then introduce the cumin seeds, thyme, bay, rosemary and smoked paprika
- Continue to sauté slowly
- After approximately 10-15 minutes the onions should be soft
- At this point, add the cocoa powder and honey, stirring continuously – otherwise it will burn
- Return the chicken to the pan and stir in the cornflour mixed with water, combine thoroughly
- Add the wine, enough to cover everything in the pan
- Then, with the lid, bring to the boil and simmer
- Once simmering, skim any impurities that have collected on the top of the sauce using a large spoon or ladle
- Add the vanilla pod and taste, adjust the seasoning
- Cover and place the pan into the preheated oven for 50 minutes with the lid on, followed by 15 minutes without the lid on
- Top Tip: If you can, use a rooster, it will improve the flavours and texture of the dish – It will probably need a little longer in the oven, depending on size
Presentation
- Infuse herbs with the olive oil and drizzle over the dish to lift the colours
- Serve with plain boiled white basmati rice
