A Recipe for the Best Coq Au Vin in Puy-de-Dôme

What is certain is that it is in Auvergne that the Gallic rooster cooked in the wine of Vercingetorix’s homeland has its noble quarters, and that it is on the summit of the puy de Dôme, in the shadow of the Temple of Mercury, that one savours the coq au vin…

-from La Mode française (16 December 1928)

The puy de Dôme may always have been the most popular natural attraction in Auvergne. But early in the last century, tourists from around Europe ascended its slopes with the expectation that there would be good wine and freshly prepared meals waiting for them on the summit, at the Auberge du Temple de Mercure.

Nestled a stone’s throw away from the ancient Gallo-Roman Temple of Mercury, the renowned restaurant — now a distant memory of simpler, more halcyon times — had an impressive clientele that included members of the Michelin family, visiting scientists, local business leaders, and droves of vacationers. Although the Auberge de Temple de Mercure menu featured a variety of dishes, according to its patrons, its pièce de résistance was coq au vin (quite an interesting coincidence given that the rooster was one of the ancient symbols of the god Mercury).

The brainchild of a certain Mr E. Bertrand — owner of the restaurant — the dish was widely described as the best coq au vin in the surrounding area. One anonymous woman writing for Royat Mondain in August 1909 described the menu as “refined, delicate, and comforting”, and the coq au vin itself as “a true gourmet discovery”. Another diner, writing in 1929, said that the dish was “truly excellent”. 

So what was the secret to the Auberge du Temple de Mercure’s famous coq au vin? Different versions of the recipe appeared at different times. The most concise iteration, to me, is the following, which was published by L’Art et la mode: journal de la vie mondain in December 1924:

So, when you wish to cook coq au vin, you must take a young chicken from the Limagne region and, having swiftly killed it, cut it into six quarters. Then, in a coquemar or earthenware pot, place it on the fire and let it cook halfway together with 3 ounces of lean, firm pork lard cut into dice like gaming cubes, one and a half ounces of fresh butter, and also some small onions.

At the moment when these ingredients have browned, place into your pot the aforementioned chicken pieces, stuffed with a clove of garlic finely chopped; add a bouquet of parsley and other fragrant herbs such as thyme and bay leaf, not forgetting morels or mushrooms. Keep covered over a high flame until everything takes on a fine, evenly roasted colour; then remove the lid and gently skim off the excess fat.

If, afterward, you have a drop of good old brandy — Armagnac, if possible — pour it over the chicken and flambé it.

Then, over everything together, briskly pour a chopine [half liter] of good old wine, preferably from the region of Chanturgne; and when the chicken, spices, and wine sauce are cooked to perfection, serve hot, coated with melted butter blended with fine white wheat flour.

And there you have it — now you can make coq au vin like the legendary chefs of the Auberge du Temple de Mercure!