Julia Child's Coq Au Vin, slow cooker method

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup lardons (or very thickly sliced bacon), cut into 1/4- by 1 1/2-inch strips (optional)

• 2 or more tablespoons olive oil

• 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into parts (or all one kind of part), thoroughly dried

• 1/4 cup Cognac or Armagnac

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

• 20 pearl onions, peeled

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 cups red wine, preferably Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, or pinot noir

• 1 cup homemade chicken stock, or beef stock, preferably brown chicken stock

• 1 or 2 garlic cloves, mashed or minced

• 1 tablespoon store-bought or homemade tomato paste

• 3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, trimmed, rinsed, and quartered

Slow Cooker Method of Preparation:

Cook Lardons or bacon in small saucepan, until they are cooked thoroughly. If using a multi-cooker, you can do this in the cooker, on the high heat setting. Do not do this step if using a traditional crock-pot or slow cooker!

Place the lardons (or bacon) and their drippings in the slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients except for the oil and the flour. Cook on medium heat for 5 1/2 to 6 hours, until the chicken is tender.

Carefully transfer the chicken to a platter or a serving dish. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir in the flour, and cook until it forms a paste and just begins to turn brown at the edges. Stirring constantly, very slowly strain the liquid from the slow cooker into the saucepan and simmer until it has reduced to a consistency that’s thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.

Transfer the onions to the platter or dish with the chickens and discard the bay leaf. Pour the reduced sauce over the chicken and onions.

bon appetit