Coq au Blanc
Ingredients
8 oz bacon, turkey bacon, or savory sausage - cut into ¼ inch pieces
3 medium onions - roughly chopped
10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
8 oz mushrooms - halved or sliced
3 garlic cloves - peeled and minced
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
3 tbsp chopped thyme leaves
1 bottle dry white wine
Heat a large crock pot over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon or whatever you're using and cook until most of the fat has been rendered. If you're using something like turkey bacon without a lot of fat, add a little extra oil or butter to compensate. Add onions and sauté until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer everything but the fat/oil to a plate, leaving behind as much liquid as possible
Over medium heat, brown the chicken on both sides (skin side first) until nice and crispy but not cooked through. You'll likely need to work in batches unless you own the world's largest crock pot. Transfer chicken to a plate as it finishes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add mushrooms, garlic, 3 tbsp of parsley, and 2 tbsp of thyme. Sauté until mushrooms are coated in fat, about 1 minute.
Pour in a big glug of wine to deglaze. As it bubbles, scrape the fond off the bottom of the pot and stir gently. Add the rest of the wine, raise heat to bring to a boil and let it bubble until it no longer smells of alcohol.
Return chicken pieces, onions, and bacon to the pan. Partially cover with the lid, turn heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour.
To serve immediately, sprinkle with remaining parsley and thyme. For a more traditional experience, cool and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove any solidified fat from the top and reheat gently before sprinkling with the remaining parsley and thyme.