Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
6-8 Maryland chicken pieces,
seasoned with salt and pepper
2/3 bottle (500ml) good red wine
2-3 carrots (roughly chopped)
1 stick celery (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (whole and unpeeled)
100g button mushrooms
2-3 bacon rashers (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1 tbsp plain flour
600ml chicken stock
2 sprigs parsley
6 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method:
Into a non-reactive pot, pour the wine and add the carrots, celery, garlic, parsley, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to the boil and gently simmer to reduce liquid volume by about a half.
Put some olive oil in a saucepan or flame-proof casserole dish and, over medium heat, brown the seasoned chicken pieces, turning only once. Set aside.
In the same pan, still over medium heat, put bacon and cook one minute.
Add onion and cook one minute.
Add mushrooms and cook five minutes.
Sprinkle in flour, stir through and cook for two minutes.
Add chicken stock and stir through.
Strain in the reduced wine mixture.
Add the chicken pieces.
Cover and allow to simmer very slowly for about 50 minutes.
Wine suggestion: Cabernet Merlot
Serve with… mashed potatoes and some green vegetables.