Equipment
Ingredients
Meat
- 150 g thick-cut bacon, cut into lardons or strips
- 1500 g bone-in skinless chicken thighs, patted dry
Aromatics and Vegetables
- 200 g pearl onions, peeled
- 250 g cremini mushrooms, halved
- 200 g carrots, sliced diagonally into 2cm pieces
- 15 g garlic, minced
Liquids and Base
- 30 g tomato paste
- 750 ml dry red wine
- 250 ml chicken broth
Herbs and Thickener
- 5 g fresh thyme, tied in a bundle
- 2 bay leaves
- 30 g unsalted butter, softened
- 30 g all-purpose flour
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Thoroughly wash hands, cutting boards, and knives with warm soapy water before and after handling the raw chicken to prevent cross-contamination. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels to ensure proper browning.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and fry until crispy and the fat has completely rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the lardons to the slow cooker insert, leaving the liquid fat in the skillet.
Increase the skillet heat to medium-high. Using tongs, sear the chicken thighs in the hot bacon fat in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Brown well on all sides, then transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.
In the same skillet with the remaining fat, saute the pearl onions, sliced carrots, and halved mushrooms until lightly browned. Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste, cooking for one additional minute until fragrant.
Pour the red wine into the skillet to deglaze, vigorously scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Allow the wine to simmer rapidly for five minutes to slightly reduce the alcohol, then pour the entire mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.
Add the chicken broth, fresh thyme bundle, and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on the low setting for six hours. Ensure the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender and reaches a safe internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.
In a small mixing bowl, vigorously knead together the softened butter and all-purpose flour to create a smooth paste called a beurre manie. Stir this paste gently into the hot stew during the final thirty minutes of cooking to thicken the sauce into a glossy glaze.
Carefully remove and discard the thyme stems and bay leaves. Serve hot directly from the slow cooker, ensuring each portion receives a generous ladle of the rich wine sauce, vegetables, and lardons.
Chef's Notes
- Taking the time to properly brown the chicken and deglaze the skillet builds the foundational fond, which is absolutely crucial for creating a deep, complex flavor profile in a slow cooker dish.
- Choose a dry, fruit-forward red wine like Pinot Noir, Cotes du Rhone, or a true Burgundy. Avoid anything heavily oaked or overly sweet, as the slow cooker will concentrate those undesirable characteristics.
- The beurre manie technique prevents the flour from clumping when added to hot liquid. The butter coats the starch molecules, allowing them to melt evenly into the stew for a velvety finish.
- Using bone-in thighs rather than breasts guarantees the meat will remain succulent and withstand hours of gentle braising without drying out.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Flavor deepens and improves after a day in the refrigerator.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze without the pearl onions if possible, as their texture can become mushy upon thawing.
Reheating: Warm gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbling, or microwave in 1-minute intervals.
