by Andy Blackford
from Just For Starters

This classic French dish, a rich combination of chicken, mushrooms, bacon and wine, is ideal for dinner parties

Servings: 6
Level of difficulty: Easy
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
50g Butter
6 tbsp Olive oil
18 Shallots, peeled and left whole
176g button mushrooms, halved
50g flour
salt and fresh ground black pepper
1.8kg-2.25kg chicken pieces
6 rashers smoked back bacon, cut into strips
4 garlic cloves, crushed
300ml Red wine
300ml chicken stock
1 bunch of Parsley , finely chopped

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Melt the butter and 3 tbsp olive oil in a large casserole dish. Add the shallots and fry for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.

2. Add the halved mushrooms. Fry for 5 more minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer the onions and mushroom halves to drain on kitchen paper.

3. Sprinkle the flour on a plate. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Coat the chicken pieces thoroughly in the seasoned flour.

4. Add the remaining olive oil to the casserole dish. Heat through, add the chicken and fry until the chicken is browned on all sides, around 10-15 minutes. Add the bacon and garlic and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.

5. Pour in the wine and stock. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and add the parsley (reserving 2 tbsp for garnish). Transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour, until the chicken is tender. Half-way through the cooking time add the onions and mushroom halves.

6. Serve warm from the oven, garnishing with reserved parsley just before serving.