Easy coq au vin

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the lardons and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’ve turned golden and the fat has rendered. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
2. Add the chicken legs to the hot frying pan and brown on each side, in batches, for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large casserole. 
3. Add the garlic to the frying pan, cook for 2 minutes, then pour over 1.25 litres of the red wine. Bring to the boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, then leave on a high heat to reduce by one third. Add the bay leaves and thyme, then simmer for 5 minutes more to infuse. Pour the wine over the chicken in the casserole, making sure to add all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil, then roast for 1 hour. Then remove the foil and cook uncovered for a further 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the butter and a splash of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the shallots for 10 minutes until golden, then set aside with the bacon. Increase the heat to medium-high and fry the mushrooms, in batches, until golden, then set aside.
5. After 1 hour 20 minutes cooking time, add the remaining red wine to the casserole along with the mushrooms, shallots and bacon. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then return to the oven for 10 minutes to heat through. Serve half the batch sprinkled with extra thyme sprigs alongside mashed potatoes.