Coq au Vin

Ingredients

• 2 cups red wine
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (8-ounce) chicken breast halves, skinned
• 2 (4-ounce) chicken thighs, skinned
• 2 (4-ounce) chicken drumsticks, skinned
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
• 3 bacon slices, chopped
• 1/2 cup pitted dried plums, quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; cover and marinate in refrigerator at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
2. Remove the chicken from marinade, reserving marinade, and pat chicken dry. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in flour; set aside.
3. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in pan; set bacon aside. Add half of chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove chicken from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.
4. Remove onion and carrot from marinade with a slotted spoon, reserving marinade. Add onion and carrot to pan; sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in marinade, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add chicken, bacon, dried plums, and bay leaves; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and for 20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Discard bay leaves. Garnish with parsley, if desired.