Coq Au Vin

It's cold, wet and windy. My sister and her boys have come to visit for the weekend and bravely set off in the drizzle for a trip to Covent Garden. We have a vote on tonight's tea before they leave and as soon as the door shuts, we bolt it. The heating clicks back on, Scooby Doo comes on telly waving a pair of maracas and dancing to Mexican music and the house fills with the waft of a gently bubbling stew.
I love a wet weekend.

Serves 4 grown-ups and 3 children
large chorizo sausage or piece of good smoked pancetta, cubed (I used bit of both)
2 tbsp plain flour
1 bottle of light red wine
18 chicken thighs and drums (3 each for grown ups, 2 each for kids), skinned
12 or so shallots, peeled
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 celery stick, thinly sliced
2 tsp smoked paprika
bunch fresh thyme and/or sage, chopped
500g chestnut mushrooms
1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon or 3 of parsley
mash and steam vegetables, to serve

Put the chorizo and/or pancetta in a very large pan and turn on the heat. As it starts to sizzle, it should release enough oil for you to add the flour to the pan. Cook the flour in the fat for 5 minutes then pour in the wine.

Add the chicken, whole shallots, garlic, celery, paprika and thyme. And salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, almost cover with the pan lid, just leaving a centimeter or so uncovered then simmer on the lowest heat for 3 or more hours. Add the mushrooms for the last 30 minutes. Stir in the tarragon or parsley.