This is my grandmothers Chicken in Merlot Red Wine or more commonly known as Coq Au Vin to you and I. This is a great dinner party dish as chicken is a meat most people do tend to eat even when dieting. But also if you cooking for yourself I always feel that this dish tastes better the next day.

For this delicious Coq Au Vin you will need: 6 large boneless free range chicken breasts (up to you if you leave the skin on or off I think it adds flavour but somepeople do not like it), 3 tblsp olive oil, 300g peeled shallots (you can boil these for 2 minutes and allow to cool for their thin skins to simply slip off), 2-3 tblsp plain flour, 130g pancetta diced, 2 garlic cloves peeled and sliced thinly, 50ml brandy, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme from the garden (or if you only have dried 1/2 tsp), 1 bay leaf, 1 bottle of chilean merlot (I like this wine as its fruity, but you could use another if you wish), 250g chestnut mushrooms, 1 tblsp butter, 4 tblsp chopped parsley and sea salt and black pepper to season.

So first put 2 tblsp flour in a bowl and season before dipping the chicken breasts in to the flour to coat on both sides and heating a large frying pan or casserole add your 2 tblsp olive oil and fry the chicken breasts on boths sides for 3 minutes to seal until lightly brown. You may have to do this a couple of the chicken breasts at a time placing the browned chicken on a plate on one side after. Add the remaining tblsp of oil, chopped pancetta and cook for around 1 minute, now add your shallots to the pan and saute until lightly brown then add your garlic, stir then add the chicken back to the pan. Warm your brandy and pour it over the chicken. Add the thyme and bay leaf and then add your red wine until it covers the chicken. Bring this to simmering point turn the heat to low cover the pan with alid and simmer gently for 45 minutes.  Now add the mushrooms cook for 10 to 15 minutes then remove the chicken and set aside to rest the meat. Scoop as much of the onion, pancetta and mushrroms out into a bowl as you can then turn the heat up on your pan. Reduce the sauce to half and check for seasoning tasting yourself (which you should do with everything you cook). If it needs thickening add a tblsp butter and the remaining tblsp flour (mixed to a smooth paste adding a little at a time). Keep whisking your sauce until it is smooth and glossy. Then add the onions, mishrooms and pancetta to the pan. I slice my chicken breasts into 4 slices and place on a plate for serving and spoon over the sauce finishing with a bit of parsley. You can serve this with a delicious creamy mash and seasonal vegetables.

For another special occassion recipe for this time of year check out my previous blog walking recipes encore, for a delicious game or duck in blackberry sauce which is one of my all time favourites.  If you like chicken take a look at my previous blog simple meal recipe for great flavour, for a superb griddled chicken with a super salsa.

For making such great dishes you need a great saute frying pan with a lid this Grunwerg Commichef Frying/Saut Pan with Lid and Helper Handle Size: 28 cm is just the right pan for the job.

Remember when buying pans choose wisely some of my pans and 20 year old and still as good as new, they are iron or stainless steel with differing handles so I can put the dish I am cooking from the hob straight into the oven and straight to the table. They have differing bases to aid cooking and brought wisely will last you a life time literally! Why not tell us about your favourite pan and why its your favourite?