Don't worry, this recipe uses chicken, not platypus!
Ingredients
About the ingredients.
As per Robbie's request, I have used legs/thighs this time round, rather than my usual receipe which would call for a large chicken (5-6 person roast) to be jointed. To emulate the same amount of chicken, I have used four chicken legs, and four chicken thighs.
The wine used isn't that important. We important wine from France on a regular basis, so I threw in a bottle of that, but any wine with a strong tannin base will do, when making this at university I'd use a carton of generic french table top wine.
Many receipes call for Pancetta. I use cooking bacon for a few reasons: it's dirt cheap, and very fatty. The fats in it make the sauce incredibly rich, and prevent a lot of the flavours in the broth boiling off during the simmer/cooking phase. Use whatever you want here, but thats the reasons for my choice.
You will need a large flat frying plan, a spoon with holes in it, and a cast iron casserole dish, although in desparation in the past I've cooked this in a large oven dish, covered with a baking tray
.
There are two methods for this, my preferred method which is overnight, or a quicker method. Both are the same until the cooking phase, so I'll explain that later.
Method
Coat the chicken in the cracked black pepper and a small amount of salt. Melt the butter with the oil in the large frying pan on a low light. Once the butter is properly melted, add the chicken thighs. Starting the butter on a low light prevents it burning. You might need to fry it in stages unless you have a huge pan, I did the legs first, then the thighs. Fry them until they are golden brown on both sides, then place in the cast iron dish.
Put the wine, garlic and thyme into the casserole dish, combined with the chicken to start the flavour mixing.
Next, add the bacon, mushrooms (if using) and the onion to the frying pan (I didn't say turn it off!), and fry until the onions are golden brown. Add to the casserole dish.
Now here is where things can differ.
My preferred choice is to put the lid on the casserole dish, simmer for 30 minutes, allow to cool, and then refrigerate overnight.
Take the chicken and vegetables out of the mixture using the holed spoon, so that the sauce and fat stay in the casserole dish. Put in the flour, and whisk for a few minutes to thicken it, then return the chicken and vegetables. You simply then bring back to the boil the next day, and simmer for a further 30 minutes.
If you want to eat this the same day however, simmer for 30 minutes, thicken the sauce as above, simmer for another 30 minutes, and then serve with boiled potatoes. Sautéed potatoes is a great idea, and it goes fantastically well with a baked potatoe as well.
I'll post finished pics if I remember
.
Ingredients
- Chicken!
- 250g Cooking Bacon (or pancetta)
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Cacked black pepper
- Cracked Salt
- 750ml Red Wine
- 8 button mushrooms (optional)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 2 teaspoons thyme and rosemary
About the ingredients.
As per Robbie's request, I have used legs/thighs this time round, rather than my usual receipe which would call for a large chicken (5-6 person roast) to be jointed. To emulate the same amount of chicken, I have used four chicken legs, and four chicken thighs.
The wine used isn't that important. We important wine from France on a regular basis, so I threw in a bottle of that, but any wine with a strong tannin base will do, when making this at university I'd use a carton of generic french table top wine.
Many receipes call for Pancetta. I use cooking bacon for a few reasons: it's dirt cheap, and very fatty. The fats in it make the sauce incredibly rich, and prevent a lot of the flavours in the broth boiling off during the simmer/cooking phase. Use whatever you want here, but thats the reasons for my choice.
You will need a large flat frying plan, a spoon with holes in it, and a cast iron casserole dish, although in desparation in the past I've cooked this in a large oven dish, covered with a baking tray
.
There are two methods for this, my preferred method which is overnight, or a quicker method. Both are the same until the cooking phase, so I'll explain that later.
Method
Coat the chicken in the cracked black pepper and a small amount of salt. Melt the butter with the oil in the large frying pan on a low light. Once the butter is properly melted, add the chicken thighs. Starting the butter on a low light prevents it burning. You might need to fry it in stages unless you have a huge pan, I did the legs first, then the thighs. Fry them until they are golden brown on both sides, then place in the cast iron dish.
Put the wine, garlic and thyme into the casserole dish, combined with the chicken to start the flavour mixing.
Next, add the bacon, mushrooms (if using) and the onion to the frying pan (I didn't say turn it off!), and fry until the onions are golden brown. Add to the casserole dish.
Now here is where things can differ.
My preferred choice is to put the lid on the casserole dish, simmer for 30 minutes, allow to cool, and then refrigerate overnight.
Take the chicken and vegetables out of the mixture using the holed spoon, so that the sauce and fat stay in the casserole dish. Put in the flour, and whisk for a few minutes to thicken it, then return the chicken and vegetables. You simply then bring back to the boil the next day, and simmer for a further 30 minutes.
If you want to eat this the same day however, simmer for 30 minutes, thicken the sauce as above, simmer for another 30 minutes, and then serve with boiled potatoes. Sautéed potatoes is a great idea, and it goes fantastically well with a baked potatoe as well.
I'll post finished pics if I remember
.