Coq Au Vin

Recipe by Anna Gill

Serves 5

1 bottle medium bodied red wine
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
10 sprigs fresh parsley PLUS 2 tablespoons minced parsley leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
4 ounces unflavored thick-sliced bacon, diced 
2½ pounds chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (If you need to feed white meat only people, you can add a quartered breast on the bone.)
Salt & Pepper
5 Tablespoons sweet butter
48 pearl onions, about 2 cups (if using frozen onions: thaw, drain and pat dry)
8 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons super fine flour dissolved in a little cold water

1. Bring all but 1 tablespoon of wine (reserve for later use), broth, parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay leaf to simmer in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 3 cups, and about 25 minutes. Discard herbs.
2. Cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate. Reserve 3 tablespoons bacon fat in small bowl. Discard remaining fat.
3. Lightly season chicken with salt & pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half the chicken in a single layer and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining chicken and remaining tablespoon of bacon fat.
4. Melt 3 tablespoon of butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foam subsides, add pearl onions and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
5. Add the dissolved the flour to the onion and mushroom mixture stirring frequently until well combined.
6. Add reduced wine mixture, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits. Add ¼ teaspoon pepper. Return chicken, bacon and accumulated juices to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot and simmer until chicken is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring about halfway through the cooking time.
7. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Tent with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer sauce until thick and glossy and measures 3 ¼ cups, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and reserved wine. Return chicken to the pot, top with minced parsley and serve immediately.