Chicken in wine

Deborah Aspray

Ingredients

½ cup	Bacon, chopped into 1cm squares
2 ½ Tbsp	Oil
4	Chicken thighs, skin on (Main)
¼ cup	Brandy
1 ½ cups	Button mushrooms, quartered
1	Carrot, peeled and chopped into 1cm cubes
2	Onions, peeled and chopped
1	Bay leaf
½ tsp	Fresh thyme
3 Tbsp	Flour
2 cups	Pinot noir, we used Tohu Pinot Noir (Main)
2 cups	Chicken stock
2 cloves	Garlic, chopped finely
1 Tbsp	Tomato paste

Directions

1. Heat a large oven-proof pot on medium heat. Lightly brown the bacon in the oil (about 2 minutes). Remove bacon from the pot but leave the bacon dripping.
2. Heat the drippings or oil in the pan over high heat. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and add the chicken to the pot and brown on all sides. Remove chicken once it is brown.
3. Pour the brandy into the pan and cook it for 2 minutes while using a spoon to lift the chicken bits left in the bottom of the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes or until all of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the carrot and onions and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add the bay leaf and thyme to the pan and place the chicken and bacon back into the dish. Sprinkle the flour over everything and turn the chicken and onions so the flour is absorbed by the sauce. Cover and cook, turning once or twice, for 3 to 4 minutes more.
5. Add the wine and enough stock to almost cover the chicken. Add the garlic and tomato paste, to the dish, cover, and gently simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Test the chicken for doneness (there should be no trace of pink and the juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife). The sauce should be just thick enough to lightly coat the chicken and vegetables.

See more of Kasey and Karena's recipes with wine

• Scallops and prawns with aronui albarino
• Tohu Rewa Blanc De Blanc poached pears with vanilla mascarpone and pistachio praline