Chicken Braised in Red Wine

Ingredients

• 1100 g bone-in chicken thighs, skin on
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 250 ml chicken stock
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• Crusty sourdough bread, to serve
• 300 g pearl shallots or small shallots, peeled and left whole
• 400 g chestnut mushrooms, halved
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 500 ml full-bodied red wine, such as a Burgundy or Côtes du Rhône
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 20 g unsalted butter
• 200 g smoked bacon lardons
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp brandy
• fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve

Method

1. Pat the chicken thighs completely dry — this is crucial for good browning. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based casserole over a high heat and brown the chicken in batches, skin-side down first, for 5 minutes per side until deeply golden. Don't rush this. Remove and set aside.
2. Fry the bacon lardons in the same pan for 4 minutes until the fat has rendered and they're golden and starting to crisp. Add the pearl shallots and cook for 3–4 minutes more, tossing, until they start to colour. Remove both and set aside.
3. Add the butter to the pan and fry the chestnut mushrooms over a high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they're golden and have given up their moisture. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. If using brandy, pour it in now and let it sizzle away for 30 seconds.
4. Scatter the flour over the mushrooms and stir well to coat. Cook for 1 minute, then gradually pour in the red wine, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add the chicken stock and tomato purée, then nestle in the thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
5. Return the chicken, bacon, and shallots to the pan. The chicken should be about two-thirds submerged. Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and cook over a very low heat for 40 minutes.
6. Remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes until the sauce has reduced to a glossy, deeply flavoured gravy that coats the back of a spoon. The chicken should be completely tender and starting to fall from the bone.
7. Fish out the thyme and bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning — the wine needs salt to come alive. Scatter with chopped parsley and serve straight from the pot with creamy mashed potato or crusty bread to soak up every drop of that sauce.