Recipe: Coq au vin Recipe

Ingredients

• 2.2 kg chicken (see Tip, below)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced smoked bacon or lardons (see Tip, below)
• 1/4 cup cognac or armagnac
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
• 10 eschalots or small pickling onions, peeled leaving some core attached
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2 cups red wine, pinot noir (or something you love!)
• About 500ml good-quality chicken stock (see Tip, below)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 300g button mushrooms, trimmed, quartered