Chicken with Spring Vegetables

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and blanch each of the vegetables separately until just tender. Immediately plunge into iced water then drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Dredge the chicken in the flour and add to the hot bacon fat in the pan. Cook over a medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Pour all the fat, except 2 tablespoons, from the pan. Add the red onion, celery and garlic and sauté until the onion is tender. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring with a spoon to scrape up any residue, then add the chicken stock and the bouquet garni. Bring to the boil and reduce the liquid by half. Put the chicken and the shallots in the pan and season well. Cover and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked, about 30 minutes. Add the carrots, asparagus and the bacon to the pan and allow to heat through. Transfer to
a serving dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with a bowl of boiled new potatoes. Serves 4