Coq au Vin

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 5 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/3″ slices
• 3 carrots, peeled, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, minced
• 1 onion, minced
• 4 cups dry red wine, such as Burgundy, divided
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 12 sprigs thyme
• 6 sprigs rosemary
• 1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, such as oyster and Shiitake, cleaned, cut into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)

Use a good deep heavy pan with a tightly fitting lid to ensure that the heat is distributed evenly throughout the cooking

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in an ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in batches until skin is browned, 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add bacon to pot; cook until rendered. Add carrots, celery, and onion; cook until onion is translucent, 7-8 minutes. Stir in 1 cup wine and tomato paste; simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining 3 cups wine. Boil until wine is reduced by half, 15-20 minutes. Return chicken to pot.
3. Add broth. Tie thyme and rosemary sprigs together; add to pot. Bring to a boil and cover pot. Transfer pot to oven and braise until chicken is tender, about 1 1/4 hours.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until browned, about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer chicken from sauce to pot with mushrooms; keep warm. Simmer sauce over medium heat until reduced by 1/3, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add mushrooms and chicken to sauce. DO AHEAD: Coq au vin can be made 3 days ahead. Chill uncovered until cold. Cover; keep chilled. Rewarm before serving.
7. Prepare the polenta (takes about 30 minutes)
8. Spoon the polenta into broad pasta bowl; spoon the sauce and the mushrooms on the outside of the polenta. Place chicken on top and serve.