Serving size: Serves 4
Cuisine type: Modern Australian
Cooking time: More than 1 hour
Course: Lunch, Main

INGREDIENTS

60 gm butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 chicken thighs, bone in and patted dry with kitchen towelling
100gm shoulder bacon, cut into rough dices
12 pickling or button onions, peeled and whole
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 whole red capsicum, diced or cut into strips
3 tablespoons plain flour
500ml (2 cups) red wine
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
12 button mushrooms, stalk removed
Salt and ground black pepper
Mashed cooked potatoes

METHOD

Preheat oven at 180C.

Heat the butter and oil in a large flameproof casserole and when foaming, brown the chicken pieces in two batches — keep warm and collect the juices.

Add the bacon pieces, onions and garlic to the casserole and cook for 3 minutes; sprinkle in the flour and stir in well — pour in the red wine and stir until bubbling.

Add the chicken and juices back into the dish — top with the bay leaves and thyme. Make sure the chicken is immersed, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the mushrooms. Cover and return to cook a further 15 minutes.

Out of the oven, make sure the chicken is cooked, season with salt and pepper — serve with the rice and the zucchini bread which can be pan fried, toasted or grilled. Traditionally this dish is served with croutes (pieces of bread pan fired in oil) however I am taking the easy way out and serving it with mash and greens.