Coq Au Vin Au Nord

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   On the stove top, in a French cast iron stew pot with matching lid, braise 100g pancetta in olive oil, then 6 sliced cloves of garlic. Reserve. Toss in enough good quality free range chicken so that each guest will have a breast and a Maryland piece, and continue to fry piece by piece in the pot until skin is golden brown. If you've bought whole chicken add the rest for flavour (but discard). Sprinkle two or three tablespoons of plain flour and continue cooking until absorbed. Then add two cups of reasonable cask shiraz and one of prefab real chicken stock. Throw the pancetta and garlic back in the pot. Season with plenty of salt, pepper and dried thyme. Add a handful of chopped red pepper in lieu of tomato and half a dozen spring onions cut in half and simmer for 40-80 minutes or until the sauce is the approximate consistency of sump oil. About 10 minutes before serving, add some chopped fresh basil and a big handful of button mushrooms cut in half. Good with boiled peas with fresh sage, and slices of crusty baguette to mop up.

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