Coq au Vin is traditionally made with red wine, but it is just as delicious made with dry cider or white wine. It also tastes even better if you have time to let it rest overnight once cooked to let all the flavours mingle – just warm it through before diving in. If there are any leftovers, it makes a tasty pie filling too, you just need to thicken the sauce.

Ingredients

 1 large chicken, cut into eight pieces 

 Olive oil

 30g unsalted butter

 225g streaky bacon, cut into small pieces

 16 button onions or small shallots, peeled 

 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

 225g chestnut mushrooms, cut in half

 2 springs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried 

 2 bay leaves

 1 bottle of red wine

 Salt & pepper

 Chopped parsley to garnish

Method

1. Set up your BBQ for direct cooking for the first part of this dish.

2. In a large pan, put the butter and olive oil and place the chicken pieces skin side down and brown. Turn them over and brown the other side. Remove and place in a large casserole dish or heavy-based pot.  

3. Add the bacon pieces to the pan with the oil in and cook until browned. Scrape these on top of the chicken pieces. Lastly, add the onions to the same pan and fry until brown.  

4. Add a little more oil if necessary and tip into the chicken. Pop the sliced garlic, thyme and bay leaves into the dish along with salt and pepper. Pour in the red wine and give it a good stir.  

5. Change your BBQ to indirect cooking. Place your casserole dish inside and close the lid. You want the temperature about 160°C. Once warmed through, simmer for 45 minutes and then add the mushrooms and cook for a further 15 minutes.  

6. Check the chicken is cooked. You might want to thicken the sauce – we like it as it is. 

7. Sprinkle over chopped parsley.  

8. Serve it with roasted or mashed potatoes or crusty bread and green vegetables