No one makes this better than Bistro Jeanty. Their two secret ingredients are cognac and cocoa powder. Genius!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large yellow onions, peeled and diced
- 3 shallots, peeled and diced
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 sprigs parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 branches thyme
- 1 1/2 bottles good quality Merlot or Red Zinfandel
- 1 cups chicken stock
- 4 chicken hind quarters (leg and thigh)
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/4 cup cognac
- 2 cups chicken stock (store-bought is OK)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (SECRET INGREDIENT)
- 6 ounces thick- sliced applewood-smoked bacon, diced
- 1 basket of pearl onions, blanched and peeled (optional; peeling those onions is hard work)
- 1 pound small button mushrooms, quartered
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish
- 1 tbsp. canola oil
- 2 tbsp. flour
INSTRUCTIONS
Place the parsley sprigs, bay leaves, thyme, and wine in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the chicken and stir to mix well. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
Remove the chicken from the wine marinade; reserve the marinade. Dry the chicken pieces with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper.
OPTIONAL: Heat the oil in a large, heavy casserole over high heat. Add the chicken in batches to avoid crowding the pan—Brown the chicken well on all sides. Remove the pieces when browned, and set aside.
Heat lardons/bacon bits and a dab of butter in la arge casserole. Once bacon is lightly crisped, add onions and shallots and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add 2 tbsp flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly stream the marinade into the onion/flour mix until well-mixed and slightly thickened.
OPTIONAL: Return the chicken to the casserole, stir, and add the cognac. Remove the casserole from the heat, carefully ignite the cognac, and let the flames burn out.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, scraping up all browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add mushrooms and cook another 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the casserole and set aside. Strain the sauce through a sieve. Discard the solids, and return the sauce to the casserole. Add chicken
Put the cocoa in a small bowl; add about 1/2 cup sauce, and whisk until smooth. Add the cocoa mixture to the casserole, turn the heat to high, and boil the sauce until it is reduced to about 4 cups.
Lower the heat to medium-low when the sauce is reduced and return the chicken to the casserole to heat through.
OPTIONAL: Saute the bacon in a large skillet. As it begins to brown, add the pearl onions and then the mushrooms. Let the mixture cook for about 10 minutes until lightly colored.
Remove the mixture from the skillet with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the skillet. Add the solids to the chicken. Stir to combine, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.