French Coq au Vin with Mushrooms and Red Wine

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 slices bacon diced
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups mushrooms quartered
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon thyme dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
• 2 pieces bay leaves

Instructions

1. 1 In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides, then remove and set aside.
2. 2 Add the bacon to the pot and cook until crisp. Remove and set aside with the chicken.
3. 3 Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until the onions are translucent.
4. 4 Stir in the flour and tomato paste, cooking for 1-2 minutes. Gradually add the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
5. 5 Return the chicken and bacon to the pot. Add the chicken stock, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
6. 6 Cover and cook on low heat for about 1.5 hours, or until the chicken is tender.
7. 7 In a separate skillet, melt the butter and sauté the mushrooms until golden brown. Add them to the pot in the last 20 minutes of cooking.
8. 8 Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Remove bay leaves before serving.