This is an all-time classic French bistro dish, perfect for both entertaining and feeding the family on a cold night. It’s also easy to prepare, leaving you to relax with a glass of wine before serving.

Ingredients (to serve 4)

• 4 chicken legs cut in half at the joint
• 300ml red wine
• 50ml port
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed with the back of a knife
• 1 small carrot peeled and cut into large pieces
• 1 stick celery cut into large pieces
• ½ leek cut into three
• ½ onion cut into four
• Smoked bacon rind
• Pinch fresh thyme
• Sprig fresh rosemary
• 1l chicken stock
• 250ml veal stock 9 (or 1 beef bouillon cube with 250ml water)
• Flour
• 12 button mushrooms cut into quarters
• 100g baby silver skin onions (or frozen if you cant get fresh ones)
• 4 slices smoked bacon cut into 1cm strips

Method:

Marinade everything in the top section of ingredients for a minimum of 24 hours, but preferably 48.

Take out the chicken and strain off the wine. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour.

In a large flat pan start to fry the chicken to get colour and crispness to the skin.

In the same pan fry the vegetables until they colour, then add the alcohol and reduce to a syrup.

Place the chicken back in the pan then cover with the stocks.

Bring to the boil, then skim (remove any scum or oils that rise to the top of the liquid) and simmer for around 60 minutes or until the chicken is fully soft.

Remove the chicken from the pan and sieve the sauce.

Fry the baby onions in a separate pan and add to the passed liquor then cook gently, reducing the sauce to the right consistency.

Fry the smoked bacon in a separate pan until cooked through and add to the chicken. Fry the mushrooms in the same pan and again add to the chicken.

Add all of the ingredients together, correct the seasoning if required and serve with creamy mashed potato.