Recipes-Chicken/Poultry

CHICKEN WITH RED WINE & SMOKED BACON  - SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken, approx. 1.5-2kg (3-4lb) or 8 chicken joints

175g/7oz smoked streaky bacon

3 tbsp vegetable oil

25g / 1oz butter

black pepper

cocktail sticks

Marinade

1 litre/13/4 pints red wine

2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

1 clove garlic, crushed

Sauce

1 tbsp plain flour

1 litre/13/4 pints chicken stock

5 tbsp double cream

1 tbsp blackcurrant cordial

salt & pepper

To prepare and marinade the chicken:

Cut the chicken into 8 pieces;legs in two, 2 winglets and cut the breast bone in half. Season with black pepper. Wrap the bacon  around each piece and secure it with a cocktail stick.  Put the chicken into a bowl and cover with the marinade ingredients.  Leave in the marinade overnight.

To Cook

Remove the chicken form the marinade, drain it, and dry on kitchen paper.  Reserve the marinade liquid. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the chicken pieces all over. Put the butter in a casserole and add the drained vegetables from the marinade;cook them on the top of the stove for a couple of minutes, then add the flour and stir around to coat the vegetables.  Cook for another 4 minutes, then add the pieces of chicken.

Drain off the fat from the pan the chicken was browned in, and pour the marinade liquiid into the pan, bring to the boil, scraping up the juices from the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme, garlic and bay leaf. Pour the whole lot over the chicken and stir to mix in with the flour-coated vegetables.  Add the stock and cook gently for about 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken and when it is cool enough to handle, pull out the cocktail sticks;keep the chicken warm. Simmer the stock and reduce it by half, this will take about 15 minutes. Stir in the cream and blackcurrant, and then strain it check for seasoning and serve over the chicken.