Claret Chicken With Thyme And Bacon

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 6 chicken breast fillets, skinless
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 7 ounces streaky bacon, cut into strips
• 1 onion, sliced
• 9 ounces chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 25 g butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/4 cups red wine (ideally claret)
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon red currant jelly
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 400°f
• 2 put the chicken breasts into a sealable plastic bag and add in the brandy and crushed garlic.
• 3 seal the top of the bag and massage the flavours into the chicken for a minute. marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
• 4 fry the bacon in a large, dry frying pan over high heat until crisp.
• 5 remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper and set to one side.
• 6 add the onion to any bacon fat in the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes over high heat, stirring often.
• 7 reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook the onion for about 20 minutes until soft.
• 8 remove the lid, turn up the heat and add in the mushrooms. fry for 2-3 minutes, adding in the sunflower oil and butter.
• 9 reduce the heat, stir in the flour and slowly blend in the red wine and stock, stirring all the time.
• 10 bring to the boil, then stir in the tomato paste, soy sauce, redcurrant jelly, salt and freshly ground pepper and thyme.
• 11 boil the sauce for 3-4 minutes then set to one side until ready to cook the chicken breasts.
• 12 arrange the marinated chicken in a single layer in an ovenproof dish. pour the sauce over the chicken, cover with foil and cook in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until chicken is tender.
• 13 the timing depends on the size of the chicken breasts and temperature of the sauce.
• 14 alongside the chicken, reheat the bacon in an uncovered roasting tray in the oven 10 minutes.
• 15 sprinkle the bacon and parsley over the chicken to serve.