This take on the French classic coq au vin has been a family favorite for many years. Brouilly is one of the Beaujolais Villages, but I tend to use whatever good red wine is on hand. A key step is to brown well the flour so that the final stew has a rich brown color. What you do not want is purple chicken. The original recipe for this is a clipping from some unknown newspaper from about 30 years ago. Chickens these days seem to be larger than in the past, so I basically doubled everything from the original recipe.

5 lb. chicken, cut into small serving pieces

¼ cup butter

1 lb. sliced mushrooms

1-1/2 large shallots, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

¼ cup flour

3 cups dry red wine

1 cup chicken broth

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs fresh parsley

4 sprigs fresh thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter in a large Dutch oven. Add about half of the chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook on both sides until well browned. Put the cooked chicken in a bowl and cook the other half of the chicken pieces until well browned. Add them to the bowl. Check how much fat is in the pan, and spoon some off into a small bowl if it seems excessive. (That fat can later be added back if the pan seems to need more oil.)

Add the onions, garlic, and mushrooms, and cook until softened and the mushrooms have given off their moisture and then have been cooked dry. Sprinkle in the flour and saute for a couple of minutes, taking care that anything sticking to the bottom of the pan does not burn. Deglaze the pan with the wine and chicken broth, scraping the bottom to remove the frond. Add back the chicken pieces, and add the bay, parsley, and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, stir, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook covered, and then uncovered until the chicken is very soft and the sauce is well reduced. Stir periodically. Check for seasoning.

Serve in shallow bowls with noodles or good bread.