Coq au Vin

Last year i got a phone call from a friend that she had 2 older roosters that were causing trouble in her coop and she needed to get rid of them. so here we go, me ,Eric and Cannon to her farm to get the roosters, not gonna get into details but the roosters made it home in a plastic bag. Decided on instead of plucking them which would have taken hours, just to skin them and clean them up. Much easier job and it only took about 30 minutes to clean both. So here i have 2 old roosters and no idea of what to do with them. Decided finally on "Original Coq au Vin", it took days in the fridge soaked in wine and herbs to soften the meat but it worked perfectly well.I made fresh spatzle with brown butter and sage and french bread to go with it and it was amazing! Today i have a chicken, a lot easier process and tasty but definetely not the same meal, so if you have access to a rooster once try and make it the original way.

Ingredients:

4 ounces good bacon diced
1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut in 8ths

Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 pound carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
Fresh thyme
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 lb. frozen small whole onions
1/2 pound white mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced
Fresh parsley chopped

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottom pan(Dutch Oven). Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.

Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Brandy and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for  45 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.
Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 20 minutes.Sprinkle with fresh parsley and season to taste. Serve over brown buttered egg noodles and a slice of french bread.