Barefoot Bloggers: Coq Au Vin

This is one recipe that had it not been chosen by Bethany, it would have never been made in my house. I frequently see recipes for this dish in various cookbooks and cooking magazines, but it's always been somewhat intimidating to me. I now know I CAN make Coq Au Vin! I have yet to be disappointed with a Barefoot Contessa recipe, and this was no exception. I will say, I'm not sure that I will make this dish again, now that I have completed the recipe. It was good, just not something my husband and I would enjoy all the time. In our opinion, this dish was very rich; perfect for a cold winter's night. I omitted the mushrooms, as neither my husband nor I like them. The other change we would make to the recipe (if we were to make it again) is to take the skin off the chicken. The original recipe didn't indicate that you should remove the skin, but I felt it would have allowed the chicken to soak up more of the wine/broth during the cooking process. Overall, this was a success!
Coq Au Vin (Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
4 ounces good bacon or pancetta, diced
1 (3 to 4-pound) chicken, cut in 8ths
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup Cognac or good brandy
1/2 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy
1 cup good chicken stock, preferably homemade
10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound frozen small whole onions
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced (I left out)

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.
Add the carrots, onions, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and light to burn off alcohol. Put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.