Coq au Vin from 'Donnie Brasco'

This recipe is the result of the gangster Lefty's attempt to cook real French Coq au Vin in Donnie Brasco.

Ingredients

• 3 Scheiben thick-cut bacon, cut into 1cm cubes
• 2 EL olive oil
• 1 chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
• plain flour, for dusting
• 1 Spritzer brandy
• 1 Stängel celery, chopped
• 0.5 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 400 ml chicken stock
• 401 g can tomatoes
• 1 Prisen dried thyme
• 1 Prisen dried rosemary
• Bund parsley for garnish
• salt
• pepper
• 2 Handvoll garlic, chopped
• 200 ml red wine

Steps

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based pan (use one with a lid) then add the bacon and fry until crisp. Lift out, leaving the fat in the pan.
2. Season the chicken pieces and dust them in the flour. Fry them, in batches, in the bacon fat until golden brown on all sides. Lift out the chicken pieces and set aside.
3. Add the brandy to the pan and scrape up the browned bits from the base of the pan using a woooden spoon.
4. Add the celery, onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until they start to take on a bit of colour.
5. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add the red wine and let it boil down a little. Add the tomatoes and crush them with the back of a wooden spoon.
6. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, pour in the stock, add the herbs and cook, covered, over low heat for 30 minutes.
7. Season the dish with a "pinch of salt" (really just a pinch), turn the chicken pieces over and cook slowly for another 20 minutes, this time without the lid until the sauce is reduced. 
8. Garnish with parsley leaves, if you like, and serve.