EATS: Coq a Vin

A little history . . .
Coq a Vin was orginally created to address how to deal with a rooster who is past his prime.  So basically is it designed for an old, tough chicken - this does not work well with white meat - unless you don't plan on cooking it long, which means you loose the long cooked taste - so just use dark meat.  Unless you can get a really old chicken from your local farmer.

3-4 slices bacon, cut into dice
6-8 Chicken Thighs (or legs and thighs)
1 large onion - diced
2 Packages button or baby bella mushrooms, quartered
8 cloves garlic
6 carrots cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1-2 TBS flour (optional)
1-2 TBS butter (optional)
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups red wine - something you like to drink - I used Malbec
Salt
Pepper
Herbes de Provence - or 5 fresh thyme branches
------------
Serve with Egg Noodles or biscuits
-------------------------------------------------------

Add Chicken stock and 1 cup of wine to crock pot, set on low.

Remove excess fat from chicken, but leave skin attached - pat dry. Salt & pepper and dust with Flour, removing excess. Set aside.

Cook bacon over medium heat in a frying pan until crispy.
Remove bacon to paper towel to drain, pour off excessive oil into bowl and retain, but leave enough to coat the pan.

Increase heat to medium-high.

Fry chicken thighs skin side down in pan 3 - 4 pieces at a time until brown - about 3-5 minutes per side. Add more oil before second batch if needed.
Set aside when done.

Add carrots to pan, cook until lightly browned, add to crock pot.

Check oil level in pan and add additional to coat bottom. Add onions to pan, cook for about 5 minutes, add garlic to pan.  When onions are brown, add to crock pot.

Check oil level in pan and add additional (or butter)  to coat bottom. Add half the mushrooms and cook until brown.  Add to Crock pot.

Check oil level in pan and add additional (or butter)  to coat bottom. Add the other half of the mushrooms and cook until brown.  Add to Crock pot.

Nestle browned chicken in crock pot - add the remaining red wine just to cover the chicken - note this may vary do to the size of your crock pot. If you need more liquid you can use either chicken stock or wine, but don't let the chicken swim this is not a soup.

Add Herbes de Provence or thyme.

Cook for 6 -8 hours on low.

Serve over Egg noodles or with biscuits.