Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Pinenuts

Another weekday dinner for busybee cooks that's time-and-effort efficient.

Ingredients (feeds 1-2):
2 chicken thighs
2 back bacon strips (you can switch this out for streaky bacon or pancetta)
1 medium onion, diced roughly
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced (you can use other Asian mushrooms such as oyster instead)
1 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
2-3 cups chicken stock, unsalted (or low sodium)
Half tsp thyme (or a bundle of fresh thyme)
1 bay leaf
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt
Olive oil
1 tbsp pinenuts


Directions:
1) Heat bacon in olive oil till cooked through and bacon fat rendered. Remove, slice into 1cm-thick cubes and set aside.

2) Season chicken with salt and brown chicken in bacon fat-infused olive oil in pan. Remove and set aside.

3) Fry onions and garlic in the bacon fat-olive oil-chicken fat mixture, until onions translucent.

4) Return bacon to pan.

5) Add mushrooms and fry for a minute until cooked through.

6) Add wine and reduce by half.

7) Return chicken to pan.

8) Add stock.

9) Add thyme, bay leaf. Simmer chicken on medium heat for half an hour, or until fork-tender.

10) Add pinenuts, and heat through for another minute, and salt to taste before serving. Season with red pepper flakes and/or pepper for a little kick.