Chicken in Red Wine Sauce with Pumpkin Puree

Ingredients

• 150 g smoked pork belly
• 10–12 small pearl onions
• 1 chicken (ready to cook, about 1.5 kg)
• 1 tbsp plant oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1–2 tbsp flour
• 20 ml brandy
• 0.5 l red wine
• 125 ml chicken broth
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 250 g small mushrooms
• 1 tbsp butter
• 600 g butternut squash flesh
• 200 ml vegetable broth
• 1 Garlic clove
• 1 piece fresh ginger (about 3 cm)
• 100 ml lukewarm milk
• 2 tbsp butter
• Salt
• white pepper
• thyme sprig
• chives stems

Instructions

1. 1.

   Cut the pork belly into 1–2 cm cubes. Peel the onions. Wash the chicken thoroughly, pat dry and cut into about 12 pieces. Heat oil in a roasting pan and render the pork belly fat. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. In the rendered fat brown the chicken pieces all sides. Season with salt and pepper. Briefly cook the onions and dust with flour. Deglaze with brandy. Add red wine, broth, bay leaves and thyme; simmer uncovered over low heat for 40–45 minutes, turning occasionally. Add more broth if needed.

2. 2.

   Cut the squash into chunks. Bring broth to a boil, press in garlic, add ginger and squash, and steam until soft about 15 minutes. Mash with a potato masher, folding in milk and butter. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.

3. 3.

   Clean the mushrooms; leave whole or halve depending on size. Fry in hot butter for 1–2 minutes in a pan.

4. 4.

   Just before serving add the mushrooms and pork belly to the chicken sauce, stir, season with salt and pepper, and serve over pumpkin puree. Garnish with thyme and chives.