Coq au Vin

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 chicken, cut into pieces
1 large onion, halved and sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 teaspoon minced roasted garlic
1/4 cup brandy
1/2 bottle red wine
1 cup chicken stock
8-10 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1-1/2 tablespoons flour
8-oz mushrooms, sliced
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350^F.

In a large, heavy oven-proof Dutch Oven, heat the oil and fry the bacon until crispy.  Remove from pan and add the chicken pieces.  Season with salt and pepper and brown chicken well on both sides. It doesn't have to be completely cooked.  Remove chicken from the pan.  Add the onion and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook another minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Carefully stir in the brandy, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan.  Add the red wine, chicken stock and thyme.  Bring to a boil.  Add the bacon and chicken (with any juice that's dripped out) to the wine.  Cover and transfer the pan to the oven.  Cook 40 minutes.

Stir the flour into the softened butter until smooth.  Remove the pan from the oven and stir the butter mixture into the sauce.  Stir in the mushrooms and season the sauce with salt and pepper if necessary. Place the pan, uncovered this time, back into the oven for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens up a little bit.

Serve with mashed potatoes or cooked egg noodles.  Yum!