Coq Au Vin (Chicken Braised In Wine) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (750 ml) bottle red wine (use a wine you'd enjoy drinking)
3 -5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
8 whole peppercorns
3 -5 sprigs parsley
1 medium free-range chicken, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces bacon, cut into strips or lardons
2 large onions, chopped roughly
1 tablespoon tomato paste
plain flour
1 1/2 fluid ounces brandy
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 ounces button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
20 small white pearl onions
2 ounces butter
2 teaspoons sugar
beurre manie
1 teaspoon plain flour, mixed with
1 teaspoon butter, to make a paste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Preparation

Bring the red wine to the boil with the sprigs of thyme, parsley, bay leaves and peppercorns, then leave to cool for 1 hour; pour the wine over the chicken pieces and marinate for 12 hours.
Fry the bacon in a frying pan, remove with a slotted spoon; add the oil to the pan and fry the onions until softened; remove to casserole dish.
Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Dust the chicken pieces with a little flour, then put them in the frying pan and brown them lightly; pour in the warmed brandy and flambe it (or cook off alcohol); transfer the chicken pieces and liquid to the casserole and add the bacon, strained marinade (with tomato paste stirred in), garlic and mushrooms; cover and cook in a preheated oven at 300F for about 1 hour.
In the meantime, fry the small onions in butter with the sugar and a little water until glazed; add to the casserole and cook for a further 30 minutes; if the sauce needs thickening, stir in a few small knobs of beurre manie.
Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the chopped parsley over before serving.