A Beautiful End

By Annemarie Ahearn

I killed a rooster at Rokes Farm.  It was two o’clock, the sun was beginning to set and Adrian (the farm’s caretaker) had prepared everything just so.  A pot of water at 150 degrees, workman’s gloves, an ax, a butchering table, a killing cone and stakes in the ground to hang it, 3 PBR’s and the Grateful Dead playing to sooth our fast beating hearts.

The birds were big and beautiful, bard rocks, born in June.  One had yellow feet, the other white.  Strong legs, but not too much fight.  Adrian had read several books preparing for the event and he was already regretful.  My sister has a steady hand at this kind of thing and was dressed appropriately in Carhartt overalls, a woolen vest and an expertly sharpened knife, hanging from her neck.

Adrian carried the first Rooster out of the barn, stroking its neck tenderly.  This was his first time killing intentionally.  He gently hung it by the feet and my sister, with a few careful cuts, slit its throat.  The bird had no reaction at first and then, as birds do, fluttered violently in the throws of death.  I had seen this before.   I carefully examined the cut, as I would perform the next.  It bled out onto the November snow.  We plunged it into the water, then into an ice bath and began to pluck.  The wheelbarrow amassed a mountain of beautiful black and white feathers.  I eviscerated the bird, which was only a slight variation of what one would do with a purchased whole bird.  It was warm inside, which was new to me.  We sawed off the neck and hung it by its thick and scaly legs.

Adrian brought out the second bird and again, he said his goodbyes.  I made three or four intentional cuts and the bird had no immediate reaction.  Its body then fought death with a fluttering of the wings and it too bled out.  I felt relieved that the days killing was over.  I had been dreading this moment for quite some time.  For years, I’ve eaten meat, but never have I ended a life in order to do so.  The fear of making a mistake with the knife or inflicting unnecessary pain was frightening to me and even worse was the thought of people watching.  As my sister said, “It’s all in the company that you keep.”  Adrian was also afraid of the task at hand.  Catharine, for whatever reason, was a seasoned pro.  As the sun set over the Camden hills, I felt confident that I could do it again, under less comforting circumstances.  After all, the experience was in a word, beautiful.

We hung the birds for the night and the following day, I bathed both carcasses in $40 of Burgundy wine and plenty of aromatics.  Then, I prepared a traditional Coq au Vin and Adrian, Ladleah (our sous-chef) and my parents joined me for supper.  We thanked the birds for their life, Adrian for his work and together ate an authentically French preparation of rooster in red wine with button mushrooms and toasts.  Aridan doesn’t usually eat meat, but he has twice in the past twelve years, both times, in my care, at my table.  I have not met a man like Adrian.  It was a privilege to have killed our first rooster together.

Coq Au Vin

Adapted from The Country Cooking of France, Anne Willan

Serves 4

3 cups Burgundy red wine

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

3 cloves garlic (1 whole, 2 chopped)

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1  5–6-lb Rooster, cut into 10 pieces, ideally 6 months old

2 tablsepoons olive oil

8 sprigs flat-leaf parsley plus 1 tablespoon

chopped leaves

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs thyme

1⁄2 lb. slab bacon, cut into 2″-long slivers

3 tablespoon flour

2 cups Chicken Stock

2 shallots, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons butter

18 pearl onions, peeled

1⁄2 lb. button mushrooms, quartered

Bring wine, peppercorns, whole garlic, celery, carrots, and yellow onions to a boil in a pot; reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool, pour over rooster. Cover and marinate overnight.

Heat oven to 325°. Tie parsley sprigs, bay leaves, and thyme together; set aside. Remove rooster from marinade; pat dry. Strain marinade; reserve liquid and solids separately. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until crisp, 6–8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a bowl; increase heat to medium-high. Working in 2 batches, brown rooster, 6–8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add reserved solids; cook until soft, 10–12 minutes. Sprinkle in flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in reserved liquid; boil. Simmer for 1 minute. Stir in remaining garlic, stock, shallots, and salt and pepper to taste; nestle chicken and herb bundle in vegetables. Bake, covered, until tender, about 1 1⁄4 hours. Transfer chicken to a plate; cover with foil. Strain sauce; keep warm.

While rooster is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon butter and remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add pearl onions; cook until golden, 4–5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, until tender, 8–10 minutes. Combine onions with bacon. Heat remaining butter over medium-high heat; cook mushrooms until tender, 4–5 minutes. Arrange chicken on platter; top with sauce, bacon, onions, mushrooms, and remaining parsley.