Coq au vin

This recipe is easy (but def. time consuming- 3 hrs start to finish with prep) and oh-so-worth it! I made this on Saturday night and it came out even better than both of the times I tried it in Boston area french restaurants. DELICIOUS! This will be my new fall back recipe for impressing people who come to dinner.

Ingredients

1/2 lb bacon slices (get the best bacon you can find/afford, something real thick-like)
20 pearl onions (blanched to help remove the peels easier, trim off ends)
3 lbs chicken breasts, thighs and/or legs, excess fat trimmed, SKIN ON
6 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups red wine (pinot noir, burgundy, or zinfandel are traditional choices, but I wanted to ensure deep flavor and used a cabernet instead)
2 bay leaves
Several fresh thyme sprigs
Several fresh parsley sprigs
1/2 lb button or crimini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
2 Tbsp butter
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Method

1. Blanch the bacon to remove some of its saltiness. Drop the bacon into a saucepan of cold water, covered by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, drain. Rinse in cold water, pat dry with paper towels. Cut the bacon into 1 inch by 1/4 inch pieces.

2. Brown bacon on medium high heat in a dutch oven big enough to hold the chicken (for real- the biggest one you own! I spent over an hour browning chicken in batches- boo!!), about 10 minutes. Remove the cooked bacon, set aside. Keep the bacon fat in the pan. Working in batches if necessary, add onions and chicken, skin side down. Brown the chicken well, on all sides, at least 10 minutes on each side. Halfway through the browning, add the garlic and sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. (Note: it is best to add salt while cooking, not just at the very end. It brings out the flavor of the chicken.)

3. Spoon off any excess fat in the dutch oven, leaving a little (appx 1T). Add the chicken stock, wine, and herbs. Add back the bacon. Lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes, or until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove chicken and onions to a separate platter. Remove the bay leaves, herb sprigs, garlic, and discard.

4. Add mushrooms to the remaining liquid and turn the heat to high. Boil quickly and reduce the liquid by three fourths until it becomes thick and saucy (appx 20 mins). Lower the heat, stir in the butter. Return the chicken and onions to the pan to reheat and coat with sauce. Adjust seasoning. Garnish with parsely.

Serve atop buttered egg noodles, garnish with parsely. Admire. Savor with a glass of wine (no sense in letting the rest of that bottle go to waste)