Egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or other starch to serve (optional)
Instructions
Heat a large, deep skillet with a lid over medium heat, and add the bacon. Line a plate with paper towels. Cook, stirring frequently until the bacon is browned and crisped. Remove with a slotted spoon to the paper towels, and leave the fat in the pan.
Return the pan to medium high heat and add the chicken, skin side down. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 15 minutes in total. Then transfer the chicken to another plate.
Add the olive oil to the pan, then add the shallots and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes until they start to soften, then add the garlic and cook, stirring, for one more minute until you can smell the garlic.Pour off almost all the fat from the pan, then return it to medium heat. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms, saute 5 minutes, until the vegetables are golden and any juices that the mushrooms have released evaporate. Add the flour and stir until the it coats the vegetables. Cook, stirring for one more minute. Transfer the vegetables to the plate with the chicken.
The bottom of the pan will probably have a lot of golden bits and pieces stuck to it, which is not only ok, but desirable. Add the tomato paste, red wine, broth, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, scraping the browned bit from the bottom of the pan into the liquid.
Return the chicken and vegetables to the pan, nestling the chicken into the vegetables so that the pieces rest on the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan, lower the heat so that the mixture is at a gentle simmer, and cook for another 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Baste with the cooking liquid occasionally as you go.
Use a large, slotted spoon to remove the chicken, mushrooms and pearl onions from the pot and place them in a shallow serving bowl. Some of the minced ingredients will come along with the onions and that’s fine. Cover with foil to keep warm. Leave the liquid in the pot over medium heat and simmer until it reduces by about one third. At this point you can strain the cooking liquid if you like a silkier, smoother sauce, and return it to the pot, discarding the solids that are strained out, or just leave the sauce in the pot. Either way, add the butter, stirring until it’s melted. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables, and serve with the starch of your choice. Sprinkle the bacon and parsley over the top of the chicken. You can also plate the portions individually in shallow bowls if you like.
Notes
Really many red wines work in this dish, and this dish will take on the flavor of the wine you use, so sample it to make sure you are all in. Julia Child recommends a “young, full-bodied red wine, such as Burgundy, Beaujolais, or Cotes du Rhone” Richard Grausman, in his book French Classics Made Easy, also suggests a full-bodied red such as Pinot Noir, Cotes-du-Rhone, or Zinfandel. Chianti is another option.