Chicken Braised in Red Wine, aka Cocoa Van

So, this isn’t exactly my mother’s ’70s partydish recipe intact. I use good, cheap drinking wine instead of“cooking wine,“cut down on the amount of sauce, and create an extra step in re-crisping the chicken skin and bacon under the broiler. Oh, and I add carrots because I see no reason to spend an hour braising meat and not add carrots. 1 whole chicken, cut up Salt and pepper ¼ cup all-purpose flour for dredging 4 slices bacon 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 carrots, peeled and cut in thick rounds 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 cups drinkable red wine

If the chicken breasts are large, cut them in half through the bone with a large, sharp knife. Season the chicken and dredge it in flour; shake off excess.

Fry the bacon in a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet until crisp; set aside and do not drain pan. Add the oil to the pan and fry the chicken pieces over a medium-high flame until brown on all sides; set aside.

Add the onion, garlic and carrots to the pan and fry until onions wilt and carrots start to brown. Add the tomato paste and fry until it starts to brown and stick to the pan. Add the wine and the thyme and stir with a wooden spoon, loosening browned bits into the sauce. When the wine has reduced by half, put the chicken and bacon in the pan. Add enough broth or water until the liquid rises halfway up the side of the largest piece of chicken. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and braise over a medium-low flame for 45 minutes, turning chicken once in the sauce.

When ready to serve, arrange the chicken and vegetables in an oven-safe dish or casserole with the bacon slices across the top. Drain the sauce to a large measuring cup and let sit until the fat rises to the top. Remove fat and pour sauce over chicken. Broil 6 inches from the element until the chicken skin and bacon re-crisp, about 5 minutes. If you spoon the sauce over the chicken a couple of times as it broils, you’ll make a nice glaze on the meat. Serve with pasta or rice mixed with mushrooms. Blueberry mold optional. Serves 4-6.

(based on 4): 440 calories (percent of calories from fat, 40), 36 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 16 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 95 milligrams cholesterol, 533 milligrams sodium.