Coq au Vin With Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients

• 4 whole chicken legs with skin on
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces smoked slab bacon
• cut in 1/4-inch dice or lardons
• 2 large carrots
• peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 large onions
• peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 small celery stalk
• coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• unpeeled
• crushed
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups red wine
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 1/2 bunch fresh thyme
• plus additional for garnish
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 to 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 12 baby carrots
• trimmed and peeled
• 12 cipollini onions
• trimmed and peeled
• Salt and pepper
• 12 crimini mushrooms
• cleaned
• trimmed and cut vertically in half

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add chicken and brown.
4. Place chicken in a bowl and spoon out fat from pan.
5. Saute two-thirds of the bacon in the pan until bacon is lightly browned and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes.
6. Put bacon in a bowl and add vegetables and garlic to the pan.
7. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
8. Saute until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
9. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to coat.
10. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
11. Add wine and stir to blend.
12. Add chicken, herbs and enough stock to cover.
13. Heat just to boiling, cover and place in oven.
14. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat begins to come off the bone.
15. While chicken cooks, saute remaining diced bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.
16. Remove and set aside.
17. Reserve drippings in skillet.
18. To make the vegetables, add 1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter to bacon drippings in skillet.
19. Add carrots and cipollini onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
20. Saute until nicely browned, about 5 minutes.
21. (Brown vegetables separately if using a smaller skillet.)
22. Remove to a roasting pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
23. Brown mushrooms in drippings, about 3 minutes, and place in a bowl.
24. When chicken is done, put in a large bowl with a slotted spoon.
25. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees.
26. Strain braising liquid into a 3-quart saucepan and spoon off fat.
27. Boil until liquid is reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes.
28. Taste and adjust seasoning.
29. Meanwhile, roast the carrots and onions in the oven until tender, about 10 minutes, adding mushrooms the last 5 minutes.
30. To serve, top each chicken leg with braising liquid, roasted vegetables, mushrooms and bacon.
31. Garnish with thyme sprigs.