This  recipe is taken from Michel Oliver's book   " Cooking is Child's Play", forward by  Jean Cocteau.   A guest  very kindly sent me his mother's copy of this book as he was downsizing and hoped I could give the book a good home.  It was a much loved and used recipe book and I hope I have done the recipes justice.   Other recipes feature in the deserts section.
My adaptation of Coq au  Vin

• Wash 20 small button mushrooms and strain in a seive
• Peel 20 small onions - here I usually substitute a  medium red onion cut into slices
• Chop 1 clove of garlic
• I packet of smoked lardons (chopped bacon pieces)
• Place a casserole dish over a medium heat
• Add 1 tbsp of butter or mixture of butter and olive oil
• When the butter is sizzling add the lardons, onions and chopped garlic and mushrooms, 1 sprig of fresh thyme and one bay leaf
• Leave to brown - about 5 minutes
• Sprinkle over 1 tbsp of plain flour 
• Add the chicken pieces - I use chicken thighs from which I have removed the skin (allow 2 thighs per person)
• Mix with a wooden spoon
• Allow to cook for 10 minutes - the chicken pieces should brown a bit
• Pour in 2 glasses (cups) of red wine or enough to cover  all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
• Lower the heat and leave to simmer for 40 minutes with  a lid on.   (I usually   leave it to cook a bit longer - the chicken should fall away from the bone)
• To thicken the sauce take off the lid near the end, turn the heat up and let the  sauce reduce.      

​Serve with small new potatoes and green beans

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