Suppenhuhn/Boiling/Stewing Chicken for Coq au Vin

[ChristinaMason]

I picked up a smallish chicken at the market today that was marked half off. It's labeled "Suppenhuhn," which is basically a boiling or stewing chicken (literally "soup hen"). I thought this might work well for Coq au Vin, although technically it's a hen and not a rooster. The skin has a yellow tinge and it's marked as corn-fed. The breasts are smaller than those of your typical roaster.

Here's what one website says: "Soup hens are usually 12 to 15 months old laying hens, they weigh from 1000 to 2000 g. Hens are particularly fragrant, but they must be boiled. When roasted, their meat is tough."

Does anyone have advice on what to do with this bird when making coq au vin? Do I need to marinate it in red wine overnight or something to tenderize? Should I adjust cooking times?

I'm probably going to use this recipe, which says an older bird makes for a richer sauce: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyl...

I'd appreciate any help, thanks!

[hobbybaker]

Hi, Christina, there is a recipe "Chicken Fricassee with Artichokes & Mashrooms" in "All About Braising". She does not say anything about the bird other than, 3.5 to 4 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, it might fit to your hen as this is braising, which capture the moisture by browning. If you have a book, page 165.

[ChristinaMason]

OK, thanks for the vote of confidence. I thought it was right, but a German classmate in my cooking class advised against it. Confusingly, he suggested using it in a fricassee. I will try it next week and get back to you.

[buttertart]

A fricassee is basically a white wine stew, isn't it? Same diff. Just be sure it's fork-tender when you go to eat it.

[paulj]

I had a grade school teacher who told us 'If at first you don't fricassee, fry fry a hen.' Only problem, none of us knew what a fricassee was.

[buttertart]

Too cute.

[paulj]

I'd cook it well ahead of time, so I could let it cook till done without any time pressures. Dishes like this often are better when reheated the next day.

Regardless of the gender, older birds used to be the norm in stews like this.

[buttertart]

I would just cook it about twice as long as a regular chicken - I don't like the empurpled look of chicken marinated in red wine. (Love stewing hens - one of the best things I ever ate was the breast of one my mother made when I was a kid. So chickeny and lush!)