Crockpot Coq Au Vin (chicken in wine for the non-pretentious)

OK, I will admit that sauteing onions at five o'clock this morning made me moderately nauseous for the rest of the day. However, this was so good it was worth it! To cut down on my bleary-eyed prep time this morning, I chopped all of the veggies the night before, measured out herbs and flour into my handy little prep bowls, set up the crockpot and set out the non-perishable ingredients.

Be sure to season the sauce well at the end or pass plenty of salt and pepper.

Crockpot Coq Au Vin
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 smallish carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 lb. white button mushrooms, stemmed and halved
4-6 strips of bacon (I found this to be largely unnecessary)
2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 bottle dry red wine (according to the recipe, white works too for a lighter dish)
1 can chicken broth
Salt and pepper
Pinch of dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh thyme

The night before:

Chop all veggies and half mushrooms. Place onions, carrots and garlic in one bowl, mushrooms in another. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Measure out flour into a small prep bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set out next to crockpot with the chicken broth, red wine, thyme and salt and pepper.

In the morning:

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add bacon and fry until crisp. Set aside, allow to cool slightly and chop. (I didn't think this added anything to the dish. I'm sure it imparted some flavor, but I'll probably leave it out next time).

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In the same skillet, brown chicken on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Place chicken in crockpot and sprinkle with bacon (if using).

In the same skillet, add the mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and garlic and saute for about a minute longer. Sprinkle the veggies with the flour, stir to coat, and add veggies to the crockpot.

Return the pan to the heat and use the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits. Bring to a boil, add the chicken broth and add the liquid to the crockpot.

Add the thyme and cook on low for 8 hours.

If the sauce is too thin, ladle some of the liquid into a Pyrex measuring cup, add a couple tablespoons of flour and whisk well. Add this roux back into the crockpot, stir well and let cook on low for a few minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.

Serve over egg noodles and with a green salad. And a nice big glass of whatever wine you cooked with. After all, the only thing lawyers like more than suing people is getting drunk! Enjoy.