Description
Rich and comforting French classic of chicken braised slowly in red wine with mushrooms, bacon, onions, and aromatic herbs.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 8 chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
- 6 oz bacon or pancetta, diced
- 12 oz mushrooms, halved or quartered
- 12 small pearl onions, peeled (or 1 large onion chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups dry red wine (Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove and set aside.
- Add butter; brown chicken pieces in batches until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- In same pot, add pearl onions; sauté until lightly browned, then add mushrooms and cook until golden. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.
- Stir in tomato paste and flour; cook 1–2 minutes to remove raw flour taste.
- Gradually pour in red wine and chicken stock, stirring to blend and dissolve roux.
- Return chicken and bacon to pot. Add bay leaf and thyme. Bring to simmer, then cover and reduce heat to low. Braise gently for 35–45 minutes until chicken is tender.
- Remove lid and simmer 5–10 minutes to thicken sauce. Adjust seasoning.
- Serve chicken and sauce, garnished with chopped parsley, alongside mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
Notes
- Use a good-quality dry red wine you enjoy drinking—flavor matters.
- For richer flavor, marinate chicken in wine with aromatics overnight before cooking.
- Pearl onions can be substituted with shallots or chopped regular onion.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day.
- Make it extra luxurious by adding a splash of heavy cream before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken piece with sauce
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg