Shelly's Recipe

BURGUNDY BRAISED CHICKEN (Crock pot)

Category: Chicken

2 whole chickens, 4 lbs a piece
5 cups red wine
8 strips bacon, cut into ½ inch strips
8 sprigs thyme
6 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
4 cups quartered button mushrooms
4 cups thinly sliced onions
2 tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, washed, stemmed and coarsely chopped
Creamy Parmesan Polenta

The day before cooking the dish: Quarter the chicken, leaving the breasts on the bone. Separate each leg into thigh and drumstick portions, and cut each breast in half. Add the chicken to a shallow container large enough to accommodate all of the pieces in a single layer. Pour the wine over and add the sliced garlic. Cover and refrigerate to let marinate overnight.

Cook the bacon in a saute pan until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving all of the rendered fat in the pan. Add the mushrooms to the pan and saute until lightly golden brown. Toss the onions into the mushrooms and continue to saute until they are well caramelized. Reduce the heat to low and melt in the butter and then incorporate the flour. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, then season and remove from the heat.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and dust the skin sides lightly with flour. Saute the pieces of chicken, skin side down, until golden brown and then add to the Crock-Pot slow cooker.

Add the red wine marinade to a sauce pot and slowly bring to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes, skimming away impurities that rise to the top. Add the chicken broth, caramelized onion and mushroom mixture to the wine and heat through. Adjust seasoning and then pour over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook on High for 30 minutes. Reduce the temperature setting to Low and continue to cook for three more hours. Serve the chicken over Creamy Parmesan Polenta, spooning sauce over. Garnish with the crisp bacon and parsley.