Learn the secrets to Maison Selby’s coq au vin

Chances are, we’re all going to be spending even more time indoors this fall and winter than we’re accustomed to. But if there’s any upside to this, it’s in the extra time we’ll have to spend in the kitchen, preparing the hearty, stick-to-your-ribs fare the season demands. Few dishes are as timelessly appealing in such moments as a rich, rustic coq au vin. The dish is a mainstay of chef de cuisine Patrick Forest’s menu at Maison Selby. The chic French restaurant, housed in a historic Victorian mansion just off Bloor at Sherbourne, is the newest entry in the Oliver and Bonacini portfolio—it quickly asserted itself as one of the city’s top French destinations, landing a spot on Toronto Life’s Best New Restaurants 2020 list. As lovely as the swanky Selby space is, the home kitchen is perfectly suited for Forest’s coq au vin. Done right, it’s not a quick recipe, and that’s its own reward. Forest isn’t one to take any shortcuts, so his coq au vin begins with the chicken marinating overnight in red wine (hopefully you saved a glass for yourself) before it begins its final journey toward braised deliciousness. And while you can save yourself some time by buying pre-made stock, it’s even more satisfying if you make your own the night before. The extra effort pays off in the final result, and besides—where else are you going to run off to right now?