2018 Estate Sacrilege & Red Wine Braised Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

8 oz ground italian sausage

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 large shallot, minced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large egg

4 tbsp chopped parsley

2 tsp thyme

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

4 slices bacon, chopped

1/2 onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 - bottle dry red wine (750-ml)

1 - 32 oz can crushed tomatoes

3 - cups chicken stock

2 - bay leaves

Grated parmesan and chopped parsley to garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together sausage, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, parmesan, garlic, and shallot. Place a small amount of sausage mixture in center of each chicken thigh. Wrap chicken around filling to enclose and tie with kitchen string. Any extra sausage mixture can be formed into balls and browned with chicken. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Brown bacon in Dutch oven on medium-high until crisp, set aside. Add olive oil to Dutch oven and brown chicken on all sides (in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding). Remove chicken to a plate. Reduce heat to medium and add onions and garlic, cooking until just soft. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add wine to Dutch oven and bring to a boil, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any solids. When reduced to approximately 2 cups, add broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, chicken and reserved bacon. Bring to a boil, cover and braise in a 350 degree F oven until chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened. Serve with buttered egg noodles, polenta or crusty bread and garnish with grated parmesan and chopped parsley.