Coq Au Vin - Chicken with wine

A French classic!
Serves 4
​Ingredients
4 chicken thighs and 4 chicken legs  (skin on)
1 and 1/2 cups red wine (Burgundy or pinot noir is good.)
2 cups chicken stock - divided
1/4 cup brandy - optional
6 - 8 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, sliced fairly thin
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 and 1/4 cups mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Image description


Steps
  1. Marinate chicken in wine, 1 cup of the chicken stock, and brandy (if using).  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit.  
  2. Fry the bacon until crispy over medium heat in an oven-proof skillet or pot.   Remove bacon, but leave the grease!
  3. Take each piece of chicken (one at a time) out of the wine marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.  Save the marinade - you will use it later!!
  4. Reheat the pot with the bacon grease to medium-high.  Place chicken pieces - skin side down (3 or 4 at a time) in the pot. Brown both sides of chicken (4 - 5 minutes per side) until golden.  Remove from pan; drain all but 2 tablespoons of the grease into a small bowl. 
  5. Sauté onions, celery, and carrots in the remaining bacon grease for about 5 minutes, adding a bit more oil, if needed.
  6. Add garlic and stir for a minute more.  Sprinkle flour on top and stir to combine for about a minute.  Add tomato paste and stir all for another minute or so.
  7. Gradually stir in the saved wine marinade and the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot for bits of flour and tomato paste.  Bring all to a boil, then return the chicken pieces to the pot.
  8. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme, then turn heat to low.  Simmer 20 minutes  - covered.
  9. After 20 minutes, add mushrooms to the pot and simmer 10 minutes more or until chicken is cooked through.​
  10. When ready to serve, sprinkle with the cooked bacon and some fresh thyme.