Coq Au Riesling (Wine Braised Chicken)

I am a total food network junkie. Thank god for the power of the DVR! I really don't get to watch much TV on the weekends, but once in a while, as I did yesterday when it was raining, I get my fix on a few favorite shows. On Saturday, I watched Nigella Lawson make a "Cog Au Riesling" which is a take on the classic french Coq Au Vin. The theme of her show was entertaining mid-week, which this dish would really be perfect for. In addition though, it has all the ingredients for a great kids meal. I have gotten pretty good at spotting such meals: not a ton of crazy spices, easy and 'fun' to eat, reheats well for leftovers and for the cook, HANDS OFF. I made this recipe tonight with some slight adaptations from the original. I only made the changes because I shopped at Trader Joe's and wanted to find all the ingredients there. I had the pot on the stove this afternoon in 10 minutes, literally. Then, I just walked away and let it cook for an hour and then reheated it tonight for our meal. The recipe suggested that it tastes even better reheated, which was true. It also seemed fancy and elegant for company but both kids loved every bite (except the mushrooms for Lucas). I served it over wide papardelle egg noodles with butter and dill, but any egg noodle, or really any noodle would do. One more thing - take short cuts where you can. I found some of the ingredients already cleaned and prepped - what a time saver!

Coq Au Riesling (Adapted from Nigella Lawson's recipe)

Timing - about 10 minutes of hands on and 1 hour of cooking

Ingredients
Olive oil - about 2 teaspoons
3/4 cup (about 8 ounces) cubed pancetta or bacon (I found it already cubed at TJ's)
1 large leek, trimmed and cleaned and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
10 ounces sliced mushrooms (I used creminis)
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs (this is key! breasts would dry out with the long cooking)
1 bottle riesling (a sweet wine)
egg noodles, cooked and topped with a tablespoon of butter and some fresh chopped dill

How to Make
In a large heavy pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the pancetta until it browned and slightly crisped. Add the leeks and cook until softened and slightly browned. Drop in the mushrooms and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Top with the chicken and give it all a good stir. Pour the whole bottle of wine over the rest of the ingredients, just to cover them.

Bring the pot to a boil and then cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer on low for one hour. Seriously, that's it.

Serves 6