The Chickens Husband In Red Wine. 'coq-au-vin'

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 1/2 lbs roasting chickens, jointed into 4 pieces
• 3 ounces butter
• 12 shallots, peeled
• 6 ounces smoked bacon (in 1 piece)
• 1/2 glass brandy
• 26 fluid ounces red wine (full bodied)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1 bouquet garni (stock cube version will do)
• salt & pepper (to season)
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 6 ounces button mushrooms
• 1 ounce plain flour
• 1 ounce butter
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Recipe

• 1 melt the butter in a large heavy pot and fry the chicken pieces till golden brown. remove from the pot and set aside.
• 2 cube the bacon into 1/2" squares.
• 3 fry the bacon and shallots together, till coloured.
• 4 replace the chicken in the pot with the shallots and bacon. turn up the heat and pour over the brandy, tip the pot to the flames and ignite the brandy, allow the flames to die down and add half the bottle of wine and the stock. crumble in the stock cube. add the bouquet garnis. bring to the boil for 2 minutes reduce the heat to low.
• 5 cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
• 6 add the garlic and mushrooms, season with the salt and pepper. simmer 15 minutes.
• 7 adjust the seasoning to taste. add 1 glass of wine ( you can now drink the remainder).
• 8 mix the butter and flour together to form a paste. drop small pieces of the paste into the pot, stir well to blend all together, add more butter paste till the sauce thickens slightly.
• 9 serve the dish garnished with the parsley and.
• 10 croûtons of fried bread, boiled or mashed potatoes and green beans.