This classic French recipe for a hearty chicken dish in a flavourful red wine sauce will be a family favourite.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken drumsticks
• 4 chicken thighs
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 750 ml (3 cups) red wine *see cooking note
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 ml (1 tsp) fresh thyme leaves, removed from the stem
• 50 g (3 slices) rindless bacon, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 200 g white button mushrooms, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 x 50 g sachet Rhodes Quality Tomato Paste
• 15 ml (1 Tbsp) cake flour flour
• 375 ml (1½ cups) prepared chicken stock
• 45 ml (3 Tbsp) olive oil
• 45 ml (3 Tbsp) butter
• 500 g (2 cups) baby onions
• 1 ml (¼ tsp) sugar
• 65 ml (¼ cup) fresh parsley, finely chopped
• to serve: mashed potatoes

Method

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, place the wine, bay leaf and thyme.
3. Add the chicken.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. In a large saucepan, fry the bacon until golden and crisp.
6. Remove the bacon to a plate, leaving any rendered fat in the saucepan.
7. Remove the chicken from wine, reserving the marinade.
8. Pat chicken pieces with paper towels until dry.
9. Heat the bacon fat over medium heat, work in batches if necessary, and add the chicken and cook until well browned on both sides.
10. Set the chicken aside.
11. To the same pan, add the carrots and the mushrooms and cook until the vegetables are lightly browned.
12. Add the bacon back in.
13. Push the vegetables and bacon to the side of the pan and add the Rhodes Quality Tomato Paste.
14. Cook until it is fragrant and begins to darken.
15. Add the garlic and cook for two minutes more.
16. Add the flour and cook for another minute.
17. Add the reserved marinade and chicken stock and, while stirring, bring the sauce to the boil.
18. Add the chicken back in.
19. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is thickened.
20. In a separate saucepan, heat the olive oil and the butter.
21. Add the onions and the sugar.
22. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until the onions are tender.
23. Add the onions to the casserole and stir well to coat.
24. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
25. Simmer for a further ten minutes.
26. Sprinkle with parsley and serve over mashed potatoes.

Cooking Tip: To prepare this dish without alcohol, substitute the 750ml (3 cups) of red wine with 500 ml (2 cups) strong beef stock and 65 ml (¼ cup) of red wine vinegar.