Coq au vin
1 – 5 pound (2.25kg) chicken cut up
1 &1/4 pints (725 ml) red wine
1 oz (25g) butter
1 T oil
8 oz (225g) unsmoked bacon
16 button onion
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
8 oz (225g) small mushrooms
1 rounded T softened butter and 1 level T plain flour, combined to make a paste
salt and freshly milled black pepper
chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Melt the butter with the oil in a frying pan, and fry the chicken pieces skin side down, until they are nicely golden; then turn them and brown the other side. You may have to do this in multiple batches. Remove the pieces of chicken from the pan with a draining spoon, and place them in the cooking pot. This should be large enough for the pieces to be arranged in one layer yet deep enough so that they can be completely covered with the liquid later.
Now cut the bacon into fairly small cubes, brown them also in the frying pan and then add them to the chicken, then finally brown the onions a little and add them too. Next pace the crushed cloves of garlic and the sprigs of thyme among the chicken pieces, season with fresh pepper and just a little salt, and pop in a couple bay leaves. Pour in the wine, put a lid on the pot and simmer gently for 45-60 minutes or until chicken is tender. During the last 15 minutes of cooking add the mushrooms and stir them into the liquid.
Remove the chicken, bacon, onions, and mushrooms and place them on a warmed serving dish. Discard the thyme and bay leaves. Now bring the liquid to a fast boil and reduce it by about one third. Next add the butter and flour paste to the liquid. Bring it to the boil, whisking all the time until the sauce has thickened, then serve the chicken with the sauce poured over. Garnish with parsley and serve over boiled new potatoes.7