Coq au Vin @ Flaming Torch
The Flaming Torch has been a French restaurant for most of its history, but it will soon graduate to Persian food, following the ethnicity of the owners. That will be good, but the French cooking is not going away completely. The old menu was full of country French dishes, one of the best of which was coq au vin. It means "rooster with wine". That's almost an accurate description. The recipe uses a free-range, young chickens. The bird comes out cut into the standard pieces, with a sauce made with red wine, chicken stock, pork belly, and small onions. Also in there are some potatoes, carrots, and turnips. Although it's a French country classic, it's not often served around New Orleans. But the version at the Flaming Torch has always been excellent, and I hear it will continue to be on the menu.