coq au vin

For 4

Ingredients

• 250g baby shallots, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small bunch fresh thyme, tied together with string
• 2 bay leaves
• 500ml/20fl oz red wine
• 600g skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces (3 or 4 per thigh)
• olive oil
• 50g butter
• plain flour
• 75g lardons
• 250g mushrooms, sliced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• savoy cabbage (shredded)
• 6 juniper berries (optional) crushed and chopped

1. Put the shallots in a large bowl with the garlic, herbs and wine. Mix, then add the chicken, season with salt and black pepper and marinate for at least 1 hour. 
   
2. Sit a colander over a large saucepan and strain the marinated chicken, reserving the wine and separately the shallots, bay leaves and thyme.
   
3. In a small bowl, lightly coat the chicken pieces with the flour.
4. Heat the oil and 2/3 of the butter in a deep casserole. Add the chicken breasts and fry on a medium-high heat, for 5–10 minutes each side, or until browned all over – you may need to do this in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
5. Meanwhile fry the bacon separately over a low heat for about 10 minutes, until browned. Add the reserved shallots and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, or until they start to soften.
6. Add the wine to the casserole, reserved bay leaves, thyme, salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Add the browned chicken, lardons and shallots.  Reserve the fat fron the bacon. Bring back to the boil, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat or bake for 20–25 minutes at 160C, or until cooked through.
7. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a medium pan and fry the mushrooms over a medium heat for 5–10 minutes, or until just cooked. Add to the chicken casserole just before serving. Remove the bay leaves and thyme from the casserole.
8. For the cabbage, heat the bacon fat (or use olive oil) in a lidded pan, add the shredded cabbage and juniper berries and cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes.
9. Serve the casserole hot with mashed potato and the cabbage.