Coq au Vin

Ingredients 

• 4 chicken thighs bone in 
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• 4 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp pepper
• 750ml full bodied red wine (Syrah or Cab Sauv)
• 20 pearl onions
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 3 carrots cut into 1cm thick slices
• 2 celery sticks cut into 1cm thick slices
• 400g white mushrooms quartered
• 150g bacon cut into little slivers
• 100g butter
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 65g plain white flour
• 750ml beef stock

Method 

1. Mix the marinade for the chicken.
2. Combine your wine, pearl onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, and chicken in a large bowl and mix well.
3. Leave in the fridge for at least 12 hours, not more than 24.
4. Starin the wine in a bowl.
5. Keep the wine and herbs separate.
6. Keep the onions, carrots and celery together and the chicken on its own.
7. Line a tray with kitchen roll.
8. Place chicken on the roll and pat it all dry with more roll.
9. Roll everywhere.
10. Pour your red wine into a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
11. Let simmer until it is reduced by half.
12.  Set aside.
13. Preheat your oven to 160 celsius with fan, 180 celsius if not.
14. Sprinkle your flour on a baking tray and cook for 10 minutes until it is lightly coloured.
15. Remove and set aside.
16. Season your chicken with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. 
17. Rub it all over your bird.
18. Grab yourselves a dutch oven, casserole pot, heavy ovenproof dish.
19. Heat 3 tbsp oil over medium high heat.
20. Add your thighs first, skin side down.
21. Cook for 3 minutes. 
22. They should be browned nicely and may look darker than usual due to the red wine.
23. Flip the thighs and cook for 2 more minutes.
24. Set thighs aside.
25. Add your drumsticks now.
26. You want to sear 4 sides of the drumstick if you get me.
27. About 1 minute 30 each side.
28. Turn and cook, turn and cook.
29. Set aside.
30. Add extra oil to your pot if needed.
31. Lob in your bacon and cook for only about 2 minutes until its nice and browned and crispy.
32. Set aside.
33. Lob in your mushrooms and cook for about 6 minutes, tossing occasionally.
34. Set aside.
35. Throw in your carrots and celery next.
36. Wait 5 minutes and add your onions. 
37.  Cook for a further 5 minutes until onions are nice and soft.
38. Throw in your butter.
39. Roll the pot about.
40. Add your garlic once the butter has melted.
41. Cook and stir for 3 minutes.
42. Add the tomato paste. 
43. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
44.  Add your flour.
45. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. This isn't broken, don't worry.
46. Slowly pour in your beef stock.
47. Continuously stir while doing so.
48. You need the flour to be lump free. 
49. Chuck in the wine next and keep stirring.
50. Lob back in your bacon, chicken and mushroom.
51. Season well with salt and pepper.
52. Stir well.
53. Get the heat of the pot back to a simmer.
54. Cover the pot and put in your pre heated oven for 45 minutes.
55. Remove from oven.
56. The chicken should be super soft and your stew delicious!

Serve with creamy mash to be in heaven!