Coq au Vin

1 4oz chunk of lean bacon
4 tbs butter
3 lb cut-up frying chicken
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup cognac
3 cups red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 TBS tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/4 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
12-24 small (1") onions
1/2 pound mushrooms
3 TBS flour
olive oil
parsley

A Regular Guys Recipe

Remove rind and cut the bacon into little rectangles 1" long and 1/4" wide.   Simmer the bacon in 2 quarts of water for 10 minutes then rinse in cold water and dry.

Saute the bacon slowly in about 2TBS butter until it is very lightly browned.  Remove the bacon to a side dish.  Dry the chicken pieces thoroughly and brown them in the hot bacon fat.  Reduce heat and season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Put the bacon pieces back in with the chicken cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once.

Uncover the chicken and pour i the cognac.  Carefully ignite the cognac with a lighted match and shake the pan back and forth until the flame subsides.  Now pour the wine into the pan followed by just enough  chicken stock to cover the chicken.  Stir in the tomato paste, garlic and herbs.  Cover and simmer slowly for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is tender and the juices run clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork.  Remove chicken to a side dish.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.  Heat 2 TBS of butter and 1 1/2 TBS olive oil in a skillet.  Brown the onions over moderate heat, rolling the onions around the pan carefully to brown fairly evenly without breaking the skins.  Put the onions into a saucepan with 1/2 cup of chicken stock and a 3 TBS red wine.  Add 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf 1/4 tsp thyme.  Cover and simmer slowly for 40-50 minutes.

Put the mushrooms into the skillet with the butter and olive oil (add more if needed) and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

The onions and mushrooms both can be prepared in advance and reheated.

Simmer the chicken cooking liquid for a minute or two, skimming off fat.  Then raise heat and boil rapidly reducing liquid to about 2 cups.    Remove from heat and discard bay leaf.

Blend 2 TBS softened butter into the flour until ou have a smooth paste.  Beat this paste into the hot liquid with a wire whip.  Return it to the stove and simmer, stirring constantly  for a minute or two.  The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

Arrange the chicken in a cassarole dish, placing onions and mushrooms around it and baste with the sauce.  If needed, the dish can be reheated for 4-5 minutes just before serving to ensure that the chicken is hot throughout.

Serves 4-6