COQ AU VIN BLANC

Preparation 25 minutes Cooking 2 hours Serves 4-6 White wine replaces red in this classic chicken dish that is all cooked in one pot.

2 tbsp olive oil 125g smoked lardons 1.3kg assorted chicken pieces, skin on and seasoned 1 medium leek, thinly sliced 250g chestnut mushrooms, quartered 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tbsp plain flour 300ml dry white wine 350g new potatoes, halved a large sprig of thyme 400ml-500ml hot stock 3 tbsp crème fraîche (optional) small handful of freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Heat half the oil in a large lidded casserole and gently fry the lardons until the fat has rendered a little. Turn up the heat and cook until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the remaining oil to the pan if necessary and brown the chicken pieces all over until golden. Set aside with the lardons. Gently fry the leek for about 10 minutes until softened. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes over a medium-high heat until softened and the leeks are golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping at the base of it to remove the crusty bits where the extra flavour lies. Return the lardons and chicken to the pan and add the potatoes and thyme. Add enough stock to just cover the chicken. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1-1½ hours until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken, lardons and vegetables to a warmed serving platter. Put the pan back over a high heat and reduce the liquid until thickened slightly. For a richer sauce, stir in the crème fraîche. Garnish with parsley. Serve the chicken and vegetables with some of the cooking liquid.