How much salt is needed for "Coq au vin"

Question

How much salt is needed for "Coq au vin" (one rooster, 1.5 kg) and when should it be added?

Answer 1

You can almost always add salt to a dish but you cannot take it out, so it makes sense to add salt at the end of the cooking process unless:

• the salt needs time to penetrate the ingredients. Potatoes are a good example of this, when I make potatoes for a potato salad for example I add salt at the beginning so that the flavor gets into the them
• the salt will help with chemical changes you need. For example, if I am sauteing zucchini or tomatoes I add some salt at the beginning as it helps to draw out water and change the texture

The other question to ask is if you are adding salt already with other ingredients. Pre-made stock often has salt in it, sometimes quite a bit, so if you are adding stock to your coq au vin you may not want to add any more at any time of the process.

So, my advice is to taste your sauce towards the end of cooking as the sauce will be concentrated and close to the end result, and to prevent and chance of contracting salmonella. If it isn't salty enough add some salt (say 1/4 of a teaspoon or a pinch) then stir and re-taste. Once you get almost salty enough stop and let it cook some more. Then taste again just before serving and add more if needed.

Answer 2

To taste.

We do not know what you consider salty or not.

Usually if one of the ingredient is already salted (broth, sauce, ...) then you only add at the end to finish up a dish.

If the ingredients are not salted, then you would add a small amount at the beginning and adjust as the cooking goes.

Remember that with braised food, there will be some evaporation and the concentration of "juices" will increase the saltiness of the dish.