Dinner For Kathryn, Jade and Corey - Coq au vin

I honestly cant remember where I first came across this recipe but French food is one of my favourite cuisines, given we have French in the family. So, however this recipe started I have made it my own over the years. Serves 4.

Coq au vin Serves 4 – serve with rice or mashed potatoes

-        2 tbsp olive oil

-        90 gm butter, coarsely chopped

-        1.6 kg free-range chicken, jointed

-        150gm piece of pancetta, cut into 1 cm pieces

-        2 fresh bay leaves

-        2 sprigs of thyme (I teaspoon if using dried)

-        8 small pickling onions

-        1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

-        3 cups red wine

-        2 cups chicken stock

-        3 parsley stalks

-        2 small heads of garlic halved lengthways

-        1 tbsp plain flour

-        200 gm mixed small mushrooms such as pine, Swiss brown and button, trimmed

-        125 ml (1/2 cup) brandy, warmed

1.    Turn on slow cooker

2.    Have both a frypan and casserole dish on the stove top with the empty casserole dish on low heat

3.    In the fry pan, heat oil and 20gm butter over medium high heat, add chicken pieces and cook for 10 minutes, turning until golden, then transfer to the casserole dish keep warm.

4.    Add pancetta to the fry pan and cook through, then transfer to the casserole dish keep warm.

5.    Add onions to the fry pan and cook until golden, then transfer to the casserole dish

6.     Brandy over the chicken, pancettea and onions (all in the casserole dish), and ignite with a long match. When flames are extinguished, add wine, stock, herbs and garlic and season to taste. Bring to the boil.

7.    Transfer chicken, onions, and pancetta into the slow cooker

8.    Cook time as per slow cookers instruction guide (mine is overnight on low or 5 hours on high)

9.    When ready, strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve, discarding herbs and garlic. Heat sauce in clean casserole and simmer for 30 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups. Combine flour and 20gm butter into a paste, whisk into sauce and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon.

10. Heat 50gm butter in a frying pan add mushrooms, cook until golden, season to taste and set aside.

11. To serve, return chicken, pancetta, onions and mushrooms to sauce and cook for 5 minutes, turning to coat and warm through. Serve chicken and sauce scattered with parsley.