Ingredients

• 400g/14oz shallots
• peeled and left whole
• 2 carrots
• cut into chunky pieces
• about 2½cm/1in
• 2 sticks celery
• cut into 1cm/½in slices
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g/3½oz smoked
• dry-cured lardons
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 4 whole chicken legs
• cut into thighs and drumsticks
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• few sprigs fresh thyme
• or 1 tsp dried
• 2 garlic cloves
• crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 300ml/½pt full-bodied red wine
• 100ml/3½fl oz good quality chicken stock
• 150g/5½oz button or crimini mushrooms
• or larger mushrooms cut in half

Directions

• Put the shallots
• carrots and celery into a slow cooker
• and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry the lardons in a large frying pan over a low heat for 10 minutes until crisp
• golden and the fat has run from the meat. Remove from the pan and tip most of the fat into a heatproof bowl.
• Meanwhile
• put the flour into a food bag or bowl
• season with salt and freshly ground pepper
• then toss the chicken pieces in the flour to coat.
• Fry the floured chicken in the residual bacon fat until golden-brown
• about five minutes each side. Put the chicken on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker and scatter with the lardons
• bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
• Add a little more fat to the pan if needed
• then add the garlic and tomato purée. Cook for a minute
• then add the wine and bring to the boil for two minutes. Add the stock
• return to the boil
• season with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• then pour over the meat and vegetables. Cover with the lid then cook on low for six hours
• until the chicken is very tender.
• Just before serving
• heat a little fat in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat
• until golden-brown. Scatter over the chicken and serve.