Coq au Riesling

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan (I use our Le Creuset). Chop the bacon (the fattier the better) into squares and toss into the pan. Fry on high heat until the bacon is crisp.

Chop the leek finely, discarding the leaves. Add to the pan with the minced garlic, cook for a minute or so until the leeks soften slightly.

Remove any excess fat from the chicken thighs and toss into the pan, stirring to coat the chicken. (We always use thighs in this recipe. I guess you could use breast, but the flavour is just not the same. If your thighs still have the bone in them, leave it, it will add extra flavour to the dish.)

Toss in the bay leaves, thyme, wine (you can use any dry white wine such as a Chardonnay) and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and mix all together. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid and simmer gently for anywhere from 50 minutes to an hour. For the last 10 minutes or so, remove the lid to let the sauce reduce slightly.

When getting ready to serve, break up the chicken with a fork (or you can chop/shred it). Serve over buttered pappardelle noodles (as they do in Alsace) or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with fresh dill. Goes well with steamed carrots.

Can be made a day ahead, as it tastes even better after being refrigerated for a night and reheated gently on the stove.