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Gene Kelly was many things — a dancer, a singer, and an enchanting presence on the silver screen. How many of us have been comforted by turn as Don Lockwood in “Singin’ in the Rain” or his delightful dance with Jerry Mouse in “Anchors Aweigh.” Yes, Kelly was a true star of cinema. But did you know he was also quite the presence in the kitchen? According to a book of celebrity recipes by Dinah Shore — titled aptly “The Celebrity Cookbook” — Kelly had quite the recipe for the French classic coq au vin. And while many chefs have their own tricks for the classic French dish, including Julia Child, Kelly had one trick up his sleeve that really makes his version stand out.
His tip? Remove the chicken cutlets from the wine-based sauce once they’re done cooking and then let the sauce reduce by half. This will keep your chicken from overcooking while also ensuring that the coq au vin sauce is perfectly concentrated in flavor. His recipe also suggests removing the bacon, mushrooms, and onions. Then, once the sauce is reduced slightly, Kelly’s recipe recommends adding a mixture of butter and flour, or beurre manié, which will further thicken the sauce. Rather than serving the sauce with the chicken, the sauce is poured over the chicken in individual portions when plated, thus making leftovers easy and delicious. No word is given within the recipe regarding whether the removed bacon, onion, and mushrooms are added back to the dish, but this may be up to personal taste. Regardless, its flavor will have already suffused the sauce. Et voila! You have a wonderful dish of coq au vin.
More coq au vin tips from Gene Kelly
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Taking your chicken from your wine sauce before serving wasn’t Gene Kelly’s only coq au vin trick, however. Along with the traditional red wine (coq au vin does mean rooster with wine, after all), Kelly added brandy. Julia Child is known to have added Cognac, a specific type of brandy, to her recipe. Child also specifically recommended a rich red wine for the dish. Kelly’s recipe, on the other hand, didn’t specify a variation of brandy or wine. Both recipes also call for a flambé cooking method for the added liquor. However, Kelly’s recipe suggests first lighting a small portion of brandy in a ladle and then adding the lit spirit to your pan along with the rest of the brandy. This method produces the same result as Child’s flambé method, which calls for pouring all of your cognac into your pan then lighting, which is a large, dramatic flame. So be sure to stand back and keep safety in mind before you light up your pan.
Now, if setting your dish on fire isn’t your cup of tea, but you still want a dose of Gene Kelly, you can always make yourself a Don Lockwood cocktail. The cocktail, named after Kelly’s “Singin’ in the Rain” character is a delicious, boozy treat made with malt whiskey, bourbon whiskey, chocolate and angostura butters, and maple syrup. Or you could try and enjoy the cocktail alongside your Gene Kelly coq au vin. Hey, it can’t be worse than Audrey Hepburn’s ketchup pasta (which is, actually, not as bad as it sounds, though it certainly isn’t as gourmet as Kelly’s coq au vin).
Dining and Cooking