Coq Au Riesling

• 2 tablespoons garlic-infused oil
• 1 cup cubed bacon
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 12 skinless chicken thighs or 2¾ pounds thigh fillets
• 1 750-ml bottle Riesling wine
• 10 oz oyster mushrooms, torn into strips (4 cups)
• 3 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• heavy cream, optional
• 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill

Heat the oil in a casserole or large wide pan and fry the bacon until crisp.

Add the sliced leek and soften it with the bacon for a minute or so.

Tip in the chicken thighs, wine, mushrooms, and bay leaves.

Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil, cover the pan, and simmer gently for 30–40 minutes, stirring in the cream for the last couple of minutes if you want. Like all stews, this tastes its mellowest best if you let it get cold and then reheat the next day. But it’s no hardship to eat straight off. Whichever, serve sprinkled with dill, and with some buttered noodles on the side.