Coq au Vin

Coq au vin is a rich and flavorful classic French stew of chicken braised in red wine with mushrooms and crispy pancetta. It's the ideal cooking project for a chilly weekend when you have a few hours to kill.
Coq au vin, like most stews, improves the next day, and it freezes well.
Serve with buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or a good crusty bread to soak up the flavorful sauce.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs, bone-in, and skin-on
• 4 chicken drumsticks, bone-in, and skin-on
• 4 slices of bacon, diced
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups of red wine (such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• Salt and black pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• a Dutch Oven

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper.
3. Heat the Dutch oven over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon is crispy and the fat has rendered; about 8 minutes.
4. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside. The remaining fat in the Dutch oven will infuse into the rest of the ingredients!
5. Now, Increase the heat to medium-high and add the chicken to the Dutch oven. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 5-6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set it aside. This will infuse the chicken with the bacon flavor.
6. Now the next stage is to add the onions and garlic to the Dutch oven and sauté until the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). This will make them sweet, sweet!
7. The next stage is to pour the red wine into the Dutch oven, which is where the name of this dish comes from! Don't forget to scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Straight away, add the chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf, and stir to combine.
8. Return the chicken and bacon to the Dutch oven and bring the liquid to a simmer.
9. Cover the Dutch oven and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
10. In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until they are tender and lightly browned.
11. Add the flour to the mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the flour is fully incorporated.
12. Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and place it on the stovetop over medium heat.
13. Stir the mushroom mixture into the Dutch oven and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
14. Serve the Coq au Vin hot, garnished with chopped fresh parsley.

You can serve the coq au vin as it is. If you prefer a richer, more powerful sauce, drain it through a colander and boil the sauce until it has reduced by one-third on high heat. It should have developed more body and turned a rich, vinous color. Then, return the sauce to the chicken and vegetables.