Food of the World - Coq au vin

The book says that this dish was already prepared by Caesar when battling the Gauls, who sent him a scrawny chicken as a message of defiance. Caesar cooked it in wine and herbs and invited them to eat.

1 chicken (1.6kg)
1/2 bottle red wine
1 bay leaf
1 thyme sprig
150 g bacon, diced
30 g butter
10 pickling onions
150 g button mushrooms
1 tbsp oil
15-20 g flour
500 ml chicken stock
50 g brandy
1 tsp tomato purée
1 tbsp chopped parsley

Cut chicken into pieces. Put the wine, bay leaf, thyme and some salt and pepper in a bowl and add the chicken. Cover and leave to marinade, preferably overnight.
Blanch the bacon in boiling water, then drain, pat dry and sauté in a frying pan until golden. Lift out on to a plate. Melt a quarter of the butter in a pan, add the onions and sauté until brown. Set aside. Melt another quarter of butter, add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 5 min. Set aside.
Drain the chicken reserving the marinade, and pat the chicken dry, season. Add the remaining butter and the oil into the pan, add the chicken and fry until golden. Stir in the flour.
Transfer the chicken to a large saucepan or casserole and add the stock. Pour the brandy into the frying pan and deglaze for 30 s. Pour over the chicken. Add the marinade, onions, mushrooms and tomato purée. Cook over moderate heat for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the parsley.