Main Course Recipes : Chicken in Petit Syrah

Serves 4

Ingredients :

1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, cut into eighths

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

10 slices smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 16 small boiling onions, cut in half

16 button mushrooms, cut in half

1 large carrot, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 bottle Petit Syrah or Zinfandel

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Dust the chicken pieces with the 2 tablespoons of the flour and season them with 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a vertical-sided saute pan large enough to hold all the chicken pieces in a single layer (or 2 smaller pans, if necessary) over high heat. Add the oil and, when it is hot enough to swirl freely, carefully add the chicken pieces, skin side down. Saute the chicken over high heat until dark golden brown all over, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on paper towels. Carefully pour off the fat from the pan.

Return the pan to medium heat, add the bacon pieces, and saute until golden brown but not yet crisp, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels and set aside. Still over medium heat, in separate batches, saute the onions, mushrooms, carrots, and celery until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes per batch, transferring each batch to a bowl as it is done. Pour off the remaining fat from the pan.

Add the wine to the pan and, over medium-high heat, stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Return the chicken pieces to the pan with the vegetables, garlic, thyme, and tarragon. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the chicken and vegetables are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, mash or knead together the butter and remaining flour to form a smooth paste, a beurre manie. Transfer the chicken pieces to a heated platter. Over medium heat, boil the sauce until it has reduced by about a third, 7 to 10 minutes. A little at a time, stir in some of the beurre manie as needed to make a sauce thick enough to coat the chicken, but still fluid. Stir into the sauce the remaining salt and pepper, along with the bacon pieces, then taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

Tips : To serve, place 2 chicken pieces on each heated serving plate. Spoon the sauce, vegetables, and bacon over each serving.