Recipe - Cider Chicken (Coq Au Cidre)

1 ounce Slab bacon; cut into 1/2
;inch dice
1 tablespoon Peanut oil
1 Chicken (3 to 3 One half lb.);
;cut into 8 pieces, skin and
;fat removed
Salt and pepper to taste
4 lg Onions; thinly cut or sliced up
1 Clove garlic; finely chopped
2 Three fourths cup Hard apple cider or
sparkling dry apple cider
1/3 cup Calvados or brandy
8 Pitted prunes
1 Bouquet garni

BOUQUET GARNI
6 Sprigs parsley
4 Sprigs fresh thyme
OR
One half teaspoon Dried thyme leaves
2 Bay leaves

Tie bouquet garni together with kitchen string, or in a cheesecloth bag.
Preheat oven to 325F. In a deep ovenproof skillet with a lid, brown bacon
over mediumhigh heat, about 3 minutes, and transfer to paper towels to
drain. Pour off any fat in the pan. Add One half tb. of the peanut oil to the
pan and brown chicken over high heat, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer
the chicken to a plate, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Add the
remaining One half tb. oil to the pan, reduce heat to low and add onions. Cook,
stirring occasionally, until the onions are very tender and golden, about
25 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in cider and
calvados or brandy and bring to a boil. Add prunes, bouquet garni, and the
reserved bacon and chicken. Cover and bake until the chicken is very tender
and no longer pink inside, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the bouquet garni.
Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.