Classic French Chicken Braised in Red Wine

Preheat your oven to 160°C. Pat the chicken pieces very dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

In a large, oven-safe Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, cook the bacon lardons over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving the rendered fat in the pot. Set the bacon aside.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Sear the chicken pieces in the bacon fat, skin-side down first, until deeply golden brown on all sides. Do this in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pot. Remove the chicken and set aside with the bacon.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the carrots, pearl onions, and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes.

Pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. This is deglazing, and it adds incredible flavor. Add the chicken broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Return the chicken and bacon to the pot, ensuring the chicken is mostly submerged in the liquid.

Cover the pot tightly and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours, or until the chicken is very tender and falling off the bone.

While the chicken braises, sauté the quartered cremini mushrooms in a separate pan with a little butter or olive oil until deeply browned and tender. Set aside.

Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove the pot from the oven. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in the sautéed mushrooms. Serve hot, perhaps with creamy mashed potatoes or crusty bread to soak up all the delicious sauce. Bon appétit!