Primary Ingredients
8 Chicken legs/ thighs
4 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 bunch leeks, diced
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 /2 small cinnamon stick
3 tablespoons flour
1-quart chicken stock
6 ounces diced pancetta
1 pound button mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons Cognac
40 pearl onions, pre-blanched
For Marinade:
3 cups red wine
1 bunch parsley, whole crushed with the back of a knife
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Primary Technique
- Mix marinade ingredients together and place over the top of the chicken. Marinate for at least 24 hours.
- Remove from marinade, reserve liquid and dry chicken well with paper towels.
- Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper and sear in braising pan with 2 tablespoons of canola oil until nicely browned on skin side.
- Turn over to cook for one minute more on other side. Remove and set aside.
- Add pancetta to pan, cook thoroughly and remove. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from pan. Cook mushrooms in same pan (on high heat) till almost done.
- Deglaze the pan with the Cognac and set aside mushrooms for later use.
- Add carrots, celery, and leeks to pan and sweat until soft. Add tomato paste and flour, mix well. Add cocoa powder, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick and reserved chicken marinade.
- Bring to a boil and add chicken stock and then chicken. Place in 350°F oven for an hour and ten minutes or until chicken is just starting to fall off the bone. Let cool a bit in liquid.
- To finish, serve over buttered egg noodle Pappardelle pasta or boiled potatoes. Spoon sauce over chicken and garnish with re-heated pancetta, mushrooms and pearl onions.
