Fedders Chicken

Ingredients

* 8 slices bacon, finely chopped
* 6 chicken breast halves ( 10-12 oz. each or 12 thighs at 6-8 oz. each)
* salt and pepper
* 1 1/4 lbs mushrooms, quartered (we use button, but use whatever you like)
* 1 red onions, chopped
* 4 tbsp minced garlic
* 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
* 2 cups low sodium chicken broth (divided)
* 1 tsp dried thyme
* 3 bay leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced (optional)

Directions

1. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add bacon to the slow cooker. Reserve the bacon fat separately. You should have at least 2 T. If not, use vegetable oil for the missing fat.
2. Dry chicken with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 t. bacon fat to the skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, about 10 minutes total, turning after the first 5 minutes. Put in the slow cooker. Return the skillet to medium high heat and repeat with 2 more teaspoons of fat and the rest of the chicken. Discard any fat left in the skillet.
3. Add the remaining 2 t. fat to the now empty skillet. Heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms, red onion and 1/4 teaspoons salt. Cook until mushroom are brown, 10-15 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Cook for 15 seconds. Stir in wine and tomato paste, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Put in slow cooker.
4. Add tomatoes, 1.5 cups broth, thyme, bay leaves and red pepper flakes to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 4 hours.
5. Transfer chicken to large serving dish. Tent loosely with foil.
6. Discard bay leaves. Set the slow cooker to high. Whisk flour with remaining 1/2 cup broth until smooth. Stir into slow cooker. Cover and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15 to 30 minutes longer.
7. If desired, stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon vegetables and some of the sauce over the chicken. Serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.

Notes:
Frozen bacon is very easy to chop. Keep some bacon in your freezer for recipes.
We serve this over egg noodles.
Very rarely does a recipe call for a whole can of tomato paste. I dollop it in tablespoonfuls onto wax paper and freeze for future recipes.