Coq Au Vin

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breast, split in 2 to make 8 pieces
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 ounces slab bacon or pancetta, cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 30 pearl onions, peeled
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, bottom trimmed and quartered
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 4-6 pieces
• 1 large carrot, cut into 4-6 pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

Directions:

• In a plastic gallon bag, place chicken pieces and flour together. Close the bag and coat the chicken completely with flour. Remove chicken from the bag, transfer to a wire rack, shaking off the excess flour.
• Cook the cubed slab bacon in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Continue to cook until the bacon is brown and crispy, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a bowl. Using the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, brown the chicken on both sides. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
• Pour red wine into the pan, scrapping off the brown bits from the bottom. Add onion quarters, celery, carrot, garlics, tomato paste, chicken stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Simmer and reduce the heat to low. Add chicken pieces into the pan. Cover and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked thoroughly, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. Using a colander, strain the liquid and get rid of the carrots, onions, celery, garlics, bay leaf and thyme. Return the strained liquid into the same pan, cook over medium-low heat to reduce and thicken the sauce, about 20-25 minutes. 
• Once the sauce is thickened, add bacon bits, mushrooms and pearl onions into the sauce. Cook until the vegetables are done. Season with salt and pepper. Return the chicken into the pan. Serve hot over  egg noodles, sprinkle with chopped parsley.