Coq au Vin Recipe

Preheat oven to 120C/250F. Season your chicken Kosher sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Set aside. 

Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat set 4 slices of bacon aside and chop the rest into 1-inch pieces. Toss the bacon into the hot dutch oven and sauté for 8-10 minutes or until crispy. Move to a plate, lined with paper towels. 

Now brown the chicken in batches, allowing them enough room ensures that each piece will brown up nicely. Once browned add the chicken onto the same plate as the bacon.

Slice your onions and carrots in medium-sized chunks and add them to the pot with salt and pepper, cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer stirring with a flat-bottomed wooden spoon to avoid burning. Adjust the heat down or up as needed. Add your brandy or Whiskey (if using) and scrape all the browned bits to incorporate them into your sauce, now add bacon and chicken with all the juices they collected, pour in the wine, chicken stock, and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Once boiling, wrap the top of the dutch oven with heavy-duty foil and then cover with the lid, place in the oven and cook for 55 minutes.

When chicken is no longer pink mix melted butter with flour and stir in the sauce. Slice mushrooms thickly and add to the pot, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Put back in the oven with the lid off for 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.