Serves 4

1. Remove breasts and legs from chicken. Cut each breast in half and cut each leg through the joint to separate the drumstick from the thigh. Put chicken pieces in a container, cover with red wine and marinate in the fridge overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 200C. Cut smoked bacon into thin strips and then cut strips into small pieces. Put bacon pieces in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Drain and set aside to cool.
3. Blanch baby carrots in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then refresh in iced water and drain. Set aside.
4. Remove chicken pieces from fridge. Drain and dry thoroughly, retaining marinade. Heat a little of the clarified butter in a frying pan and brown chicken pieces in batches, keeping breast meat separate from leg meat. Set aside.
5. To the same frying pan add carrot, celery, onion, garlic and thyme and saut until caramelised. Put caramelised vegetables and leg meat in a casserole dish.
6. Reduce retained marinade by two-thirds over high heat and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Add marinade and whisk smooth. Add stocks, a little at a time, whisking as you do so. When all stock has been added, bring to the boil and correct the seasoning (salt). Pour the sauce over chicken and vegetables, cover with foil and put in the oven for 40 minutes.
7. Remove casserole dish from oven, add breast meat and return to oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm.
8. Saut bacon and mushrooms together in a little of the clarified butter. Add baby carrots and saut for 2 minutes. To serve, divide the coq au vin among 4 deep plates (2 breast pieces, 1 thigh and 1 drumstick per person). Spoon over sauce. Top with sauted bacon, mushrooms and carrots and garnish with chives and chervil.

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