Coq Au Vin

Serves 4

Ingredients :

2 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
4 chicken thighs & 4 chicken legs
1 bottle red wine
200g smoked lardons or chopped streaky bacon
200g small onions or shallots
500ml chicken stock
1tbsp vegetable oil
100g mushrooms
25ml single cream
salt & pepper
25g butter
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp dried herbs

Method:

Dust the chicken pieces in a light coating of flour.
Pour the wine into a pan, bring to the boil & reduce by half.
Heat the oil in a frying pan & fry the lardons until golden. Remove from the pan & place half in a casserole – keep the other half to one side.
Using the fat left in the frying pan, turn the heat to high and brown the chicken on all sides. Place in the casserole.
Peel & chop half of the onions. Using the frying pan & oil you used to brown the chicken, fry the onions until translucent but not coloured, then add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add to the casserole.
Into the casserole which now has the lardons, chicken & onions, also add the reduced wine, stock & dried herbs. Place in the oven at 150°C for 1 ½ hours.
Remove from the oven, strain the liquid & return to the casserole. Remove the chicken & discard the remainder. Allow the chicken to cool before removing the skin & taking the flesh from the bones. Cut the flesh into bite size pieces & return to the casserole.
In a frying pan fry the remaining onions (peeled but left whole if small – otherwise cut in half) in the butter & add to the casserole.
Quickly fry the mushrooms (whole if small or halved or quartered if big) until browned & add to the casserole. Add the cream & mix.
Season to taste – bear in mind the lardons (or bacon) will add salt.
Return to the oven for 40 mins. Serve.