I have always loved the Alsatian version of coq au vin and this is it, stunningly streamlined. I replace the onion with leek, buy bacon already cubed, and buy chicken thighs. The dark meat is always best in a stew. I don’t bother to sear the meat, which really means you need skinless portions; unbrowned chicken skin is not pretty. If you’re not buying thighs, but thigh fillets, then it is probably more helpful to think in terms of boned weight, rather than number of portions: go, here, for about 2¾ pounds.

I tend not to add any cream to this the first time around, which is why I mention it in the ingredients list but not in my method, but if I have a small amount left over, I add a little heavy cream and turn it into a pasta sauce. I like to eat my coq au Riesling as they do in Alsace, with a huge pile of buttered noodles. Whether you add cream or not is entirely up to you.