with baby spring vegetables

Yield- 6 servings

Ingredients

4 LBS (two 2LB birds) cut-up frying chicken, skin on and thoroughly dried
5 ounces lean thick-cut lardon- skinned
3 tablespoons olive oil – extra virgin
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup cognac or brandy
2 ½ cups red wine
3 cups chicken stock
1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic-minced
2 bay leaf
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
24 pieces of peeled raw pearl onions
4 cups quartered button mushrooms (white and crimini)
4 ½ tbsp. AP flour
3 tbsp. butter
¾ cup chopped fresh parsley

Method

Preheat a large braising pot. Sauté the lardon in the olive oil until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan. Add the seasoned dry chicken and brown on all sides- approx. 8-10 minutes. Add the cognac and flambé. Add the cooked bacon to the browned chicken with the tomato paste, garlic, chicken stock, red wine, thyme, bay leaf, pearl onions and fresh mushrooms. Cover the pot and braise inside a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove fro heat and strain the sauce from the pan. Thicken the sauce with flour and butter and season if necessary. Add the thickened sauce back to the chicken with the chopped parsley. Serve with fresh Spring vegetables.

Spring Vegetables

Yield- 1 serving

2 whole baby carrots- blanched
1 piece baby fennel- blanched
2 whole baby turnip
2 peeled asparagus spears- blanched
Garnish- fresh pea shoots