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This recipe is another example of me taking a classic recipe and simplifying it in a way that would frustrate the purists. This dish really should be prepared with pearl onions. The mushrooms and onions should be prepared separately (and slightly differently). But this is slightly easier, takes less time to prepare, and uses one fewer pan – all good things.
Inspired by Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook
- 1.5 bottles red wine (go ahead and drink the other half bottle while you’re cooking)
- 3 yellow onions (one diced, two sliced)
- 1 peeled and diced carrot
- 1 sliced stalk of celery
- 4 cloves
- 1 Tb whole peppercorns
- 1 bouquet garni
- 8 – 12 chicken thighs (ideally boneless but skin-on)
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 2 Tb flour
- ¼ lb bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 lb button mushrooms, alved or quartered if they’re on the large side
Day one – place one bottle of wine, chicken, one diced onion, carrot, celery, cloves, peppercornd, and boquet garni in a large bowl.
Cover and place in fridge overnight.
Day two – Remove the chicken and pat dry.
Remove vegetables from the wine, reserving both separately. Try to pick the cloves and peppercorns out and discard, but don’t worry if you don’t get them all.
Salt and pepper chicken. Heat some oil in a large dutch oven and brown chicken on each side (working in batches). Place on a platter while you finish the rest. Add the reserved onions, celery, and carrots to the dutch oven and cook until well browned, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flour, continuing to stir (and scrape up the fond) for about a minute. Return chicken (and any liquid from the platter), wine, and boquet garni. Bring to a simmer, then turn to low. Cook for one hour, fifteen minutes over low heat.
While the chicken simmers, cook the bacon. When crispy, remove to a paper towel to drain. Cook the two sliced onions and mushrooms in the bacon fat. When finished, turn off the heat and leave in the pan.
When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the liquid. Place on a platter and cover with foil. Strain the cooking liquid. Discard the vegetables. Return the liquid to the dutch oven (or a saucepan if that’s easier) and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes. Add the bacon, onion, and mushrooms and stir. Pour over the chicken. Serve with buttered noodles.
Julio's Delicatessen 