photo from https://cantina.protothema.gr/
Rooster wine with Chilopites
Rooster wine with Chilopites is a winter dish and is very delicious! This dish represents one of the classic meals in Greek cuisine, featuring a slowly braised rooster in a hearty and aromatic tomato and wine sauce served over chilopites. It’s essentially a Greek version of coq au vin, with its secret being the ample use of aromatic spices like nutmeg, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice berries.
Delicious! I’ve heard that historically, this dish was considered quite special, prepared occasionally for Sunday lunch or to mark a celebration. The meat from roosters is tougher than that of chickens and requires more cooking time, and since there weren’t as many roosters as hens available, it became an occasional delicacy!
The hours spent braising the rooster are worthwhile, as they lead to meat that is tender and falls right off the bone. That said, if you’re pressed for time or can’t find a rooster, using a whole chicken is certainly an option! The first time I tried this dish was with my uncle, who owns a tavern in Nafplio, and I was impressed by the tenderness of the meat and the comforting spices in the sauce. I’m not usually a big fan of poultry, as I often find it dry and somewhat unexciting, but the meat in this dish is truly exceptional, and the sauce is bursting with flavor!
Materials – Rooster wine with Chilopites
(For 6 servings)
1 rooster about 2 kg, cut into 10 pieces
500 gr. noodles
200 gr. dry onions, cut into small squares
3 cloves of garlic, chopped (or as much garlic as we want)
900 gr. ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut into small squares, together with their juice
1 pinch of sugar
2 bay leaves
1 stick of cinnamon
leaves from 1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 glass of red wine
100 gr. myzithra dry, grated
100 ml olive oil
salt, freshly ground pepper
Implementation – Rooster wine with Chilopites
- Cut the rooster into portions, and season with salt and pepper.
- In a large saucepan, heat 50 ml of olive oil over medium heat and saute the rooster, until browned on all sides.
- Add the onions and garlic and continue sauteing until they soften slightly.
- We extinguish with the wine. Add the tomato and bay leaf, sugar, cinnamon, and remaining oil, and reduce the heat.
- Cover the pot and simmer for an hour and a half or until the chicken breast is well tender.
- Remove the pieces of rooster from the pot, mix, and turn up the heat.
- Boil until the liquids start to boil, and add the noodles, continue boiling for 2-3 minutes and turn off the heat.
- Add the pieces of rooster, stir gently to mix with the sauce, and let the food stand for about 10 minutes. Serve and sprinkle with the mizithra.
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