Ingredients

• 4 Chicken thighs on the bone (skin removed)
• 4 Chicken drumsticks on the bone (skin removed)
• 10 Shallots (peeled but whole not chopped)
• 5 Garlic Cloves (peeled but not chopped)
• 1 bottle of a good quality Cotes du Rhone Red Wine
• 750 ml of good quality chicken stock
• 500g Lardons
• 225g Baby Button Chestnut Mushrooms (whole)
• Olive Oil
• Sprig Thyme
• Sprig Rosemary
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 3-4 tsps of cornflour

Method

1. In a thick bottomed casserole on top of the stove line the bottom with olive oil
2. add the shallots and garlic and lardons fry until starting to just brown
3. add the chicken pieces (no skins)
4. fry until just starting to colour so no pink showing
5. add mushrooms (whole)
6. add chicken stock
7. add whole bottle of wine
8. add thyme
9. add rosemary
10. add bay leaves
11. bring to boil
12. simmer for 50 mins stirring from time to time.
13. Taste for seasoning but I find it doesn’t need any salt as the lardons usually are salty enough. Add a small amount of salt if you think it needs it.
14. in a cup mix 3-4 heaped teaspoons of cornflour with some cold water to a paste
15. when throughly mixed pour into casserole and stir throughly so the sauce thickens up
16. cook for a further 10 minutes
17. Serve with Green Beans and Mashed Potato.
18. Can be cooked the night before and then thoroughly reheated the next day for even more flavour.