Coq au Vin - Chicken in Wine Sauce

This was part of my French Food Week in November 2016 that I had tried from SAVEUR - a gourmet, wine, food and travel magazine at saveur.com. I believe this winey chicken braise with pearl onions and button mushrooms is the first French dish many outside France try. It surely is that simple and delicious too! 

https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Classic-Coq-au-Vin/

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

• 4 cups red wine
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 bouquet garni (12 sprigs thyme, 5 sprigs parsley, and 3 bay leaves tied together with kitchen twine)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 275 g peeled pearl onions
• 325 g white button mushrooms, quartered
• 275 g bacon, cut into ½ " pieces
• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 (1.5 kilo - 1.75 kilo) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Finely chopped parsley leaves, to garnish

Preparation

• Combine wine, chicken, onion, and bouquet garni in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap, and let marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain chicken, onions, and bouquet garni, reserving wine, and set aside. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels.
• Heat oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add pearl onions, and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned and tender, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl and set aside. Add mushrooms to pot, and cook, stirring, until they release all their moisture and brown lightly, about 8 minutes. Transfer to bowl with pearl onions; set aside. Add bacon to pot, and cook, stirring, until it renders its fat and is crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain; set aside. Add 1 tbsp. butter to pot, and then season chicken with salt and pepper, and add to pot; cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate, and set aside. Add drained onions to pot, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved wine and stock, and then return chicken to pot along with bouquet garni; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat, and stir in pearl onions and mushrooms. Divide among serving bowls, and garnish with rendered bacon and parsley.