SERVES 4 TO 6

For a delicious comforting dish in true bistro-style it's hard to beat a chicken stew that includes onions, mushrooms, bacon and generous quantities of rich red wine sauce. As in all good stews, key elements are cooked separately and joined together for the final braise. All the work can be done ahead and the final result is even tastier on the following day. Serve with simple boiled baby potatoes and steamed green beans.

• 6-quart (6 L) Dutch oven or wide shallow pot with lid
• Parchment paper, optional
2 tbsp  butter 25 mL
3 oz bacon or lean salt pork, cut into  90 g
 1⁄2-inch (1 cm) strips
3 lbs chicken, cut into serving-size pieces 1.5 kg
1 carrot, finely chopped 1
1 onion, finely chopped 1
1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1
2  cloves garlic, finely chopped 2
1 tbsp tomato paste 15 mL
3 cups dry red wine 750 mL
 Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 to Chicken Stock (page 54) or  125 to
1 cup ready-to-use broth 250 mL
1 tsp finely chopped thyme 5 mL
1  bay leaf 1
 Sautéed Mushrooms (page 151)
 Caramelized Pearl Onions (page 151)
2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 25 mL

Tips

• Cut a sheet of cooking parchment just 1⁄2 inch (1 cm) larger than the surface of your pot or casserole. Lay the parchment directly on the surface of the meat and vegetables, with edges turned up around the edge of the pot. Cover the pot. During braising time the parchment sheet catches any evaporated moisture that drips into the casserole from the lid. Carefully lift off parchment and pour away accumulated water. Your sauce will not be diluted.
• If space and time allows we recommend long, slow cookin gof stews to take place in a slow oven, around 325°F (160°C), rather than on top of the stove.  In the confined space you are able to control a more even low heat and adjust the temperature to keep liquid at a steady gentle simmer.

1. In large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add bacon and sauté until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towel.

2. Pat chicken dry. Add to pot and brown well on all sides. (You may need to do this in batches. Do not crowd the pan.) Transfer chicken to a platter and set aside.

3. Add carrot, onion, celery and garlic to the pot and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in wine and deglaze pan, scraping up browned bits on the bottom. Return chicken and bacon to the pot. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

4. Add stock, as needed, just to cover the chicken, and thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer the chicken on the stovetop until tender, or braise in preheated 325°F (160°C) oven. (Now is the time when you prepare the Sautéed Mushrooms and Caramelized Pearl Onions.) Test chicken for doneness after 20 minutes since the breast meat will cook more quickly. Remove chicken pieces as they are cooked (when the juices run clear when chicken is pierced) and set them aside. Continue simmering until all chicken is cooked, 5 to 10 minutes more.

5. Bring cooking liquids to a boil and skim off any fat. Taste, adjust seasoning, and continue to boil and reduce until sauce is richly flavored and thickened to your taste, 1 to 2 minutes. If you like lots of sauce and do not want to reduce the amount of liquid too long, prepare a "beurre manié" (see bottom of page).

6. Return chicken and bacon to the casserole and add Sautéed Mushrooms and Caramelized Pearl Onions. Gently stir all together to coat with sauce and heat briefly to blend flavors, about 5 minutes. The dish is now ready to be served. For best flavor, let cool, cover and refrigerate for a day or for up to 3 days. About 1 hour before serving, remove pot from refrigerator, bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes and reheat on stovetop over medium-low heat or in 325°F (160°C) oven. Simmer until all the contents are hot, 20 to 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

Beurre manié: This makes enough to thicken about 2 cups (500 mL) sauce. Make a paste of 2 tbsp (25 mL) all_purpose flour and 1 tbsp (15 mL) soft butter. With your fingers, sprinkle small pieces of the butter_flour paste into boiling liquid and whisk vigorously. Boil for a couple of minutes to remove raw flour taste and continue cooking until sauce thickens.

ALL THE BEST RECIPES
Jane Rodmell
2009 Robert Rose Inc
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Jane Rodmell
Cottage Life Books 2004
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