Recipe

Red Wine-Braised Chicken

Serves 6

30g slab bacon, diced
4 pieces chicken thigh (approximately 500g), boneless, cut into 20g pieces
All-purpose flour, as needed, for dusting
200g mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and quartered
2 small cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 small shallot, peeled and chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
400g small potatoes, boiled
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
3 stalks parsley, chopped
125g red wine
250g chicken stock (optional) or water
Lemon juice, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

1. Place the bacon in a medium-sized sauté pan and render over low heat. When the bacon is nicely browned, remove from the pan and reserve.
2. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and dust with all-purpose flour. Heat the pan with the rendered bacon fat and brown the chicken thigh pieces on all sides. Remove from the pan and reserve.
3. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until lightly browned; reduce the heat and add the garlic, shallot, carrot and celery. Continue to cook for two to three minutes. Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and reserve.
4. Return the pan to medium heat and add the red wine, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs. Reduce by half and add the chicken stock. Continue to reduce by half again.
5. In a large pot, arrange the boiled potatoes, browned chicken pieces, vegetables, and bacon. Cover with the red wine reduction and gently simmer for 10-15 minutes, or cover and place in an oven pre-heated to 160˚C/320˚F for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and add the chopped parsley; season to taste with lemon, salt, and pepper. Serve immediately.