7 lb Chicken
750 ml Bottle good red wine
2 Bay leaves
2 Fresh thyme sprigs
2 cl Garlic; crushed
6 oz Streaky bacon
Olive oil
1 tb Butter
MMMMM---------------------------STOCK--------------------------------
Chicken carcass
Wing tips
1 Leek top
1 lg Carrot
1 Celery rib
Few peppercorns
2 tb Olive oil
MMMMM--------------------------MARINADE-------------------------------
1 lg Leek; cleaned, sliced
2 Carrots; peeled, sliced
2 Shallots; sliced
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
MMMMM-------------------------TO FINISH------------------------------
4 oz Tiny button mushrooms
4 oz Small onions
1 tb Butter
1 tb Flour
4 sl White bread
1 cl Garlic
Olive oil; for frying
2 tb Parsley; fine chopped
A cast-iron casserole dish is ideal for this recipe. Alternatively,
use a heavy frying-pan, transferring to a casserole dish at the
appropriate time.
Start by making the stock. drop about 2 tb olive oil into a large,
heavy pan fry the roughly chopped chicken carcass and the stock
vegetables until they take on a good colour.
Once everything is golden brown, pour on about 1 litre (2 pints) of
water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, then
strain and discard the solids. Reduce the stock by rapid boiling to
give 250 ml (1 cup). Allow to cool.
Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and arrange in a shallow dish.
Prepare the marinade vegetables. Mix the cooled wine and stock
together, add the marinade vegetables and pour over the chicken.
Cover and leave overnight.
The following day lift the chicken pieces from the marinade and pat
dry.
Cut the bacon into lardons. In a heavy lidded casserole dish, melt
the butter with 2 tb oil and cook half the lardons until the fat
runs.
Fry the chicken pieces, a few at a time, until they are golden
brown on all sides. Take your time as this frying gives the dish a
more intense flavour.
When all the chicken is browned, return all the pieces to the
casserole dish. Pour the marinade and vegetables over it and bring
everything to the boil. Cover with a tight fitting lid.
Either simmer over a low heat for 90 minutes or place the covered
dish in a preheated oven 160 C/325 F/gas mark 3 for the same length
of time.
Meanwhile, peel the tiny onions, and cook the remaining lardons in
a heavy frying pan until the fat runs, then add the onions and cook
until they begin to colour.
Wipe the mushrooms.
Once the chicken is tender, remove the pieces form the sauce and
keep warm. Strain the sauce, pressing hard on the vegetables. Now
wipe out the dish and pour back the strained marinade, then add the
lardons, onions, and mushrooms. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Using a palate knife, knead together the butter and flour until you
have a smooth paste.
Drop pieces of this into the sauce, whisking gently until the sauce
thickens. Taste and correct the seasoning. Replace the chicken and
simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Cut the bread into croutons and fry in
olive oil until golden. Rub with garlic and sprinkle with chopped
parsley.
Serve the chicken with croutons and creamy mashed potatoes.
Recipe by Thane Price; Weekend Telegraph, London, Oct 12, 1996
