Grandmother's French Herbed Chicken

A recipe from my grandmother. Enjoy. It's on my list of "recipes-to-make" for sure! (I'm posting it untried because she's a GREAT cook and doesn't need my verification ☺). In fact, I think this will go on my "make-for-company" list!

(Note: these older recipes assume a lot more background cooking knowledge than contemporary cookbooks do. See below the recipe for some helpful tips from a reader--thanks, Amy!)

Grandmother's French Herbed Chicken

• 1 cut-up chicken (about 3 pounds)
• 1 T. butter
• 1 (8-oz) can small whole onions, drained (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 c. coarsely chopped carrot
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 T. snipped parsley
• 1/4 t. dried thyme, crushed
• 1 (2-oz) can sliced mushrooms
• 1 c. sauterne
• 2-3 branches celery, cut up
• 1 medium bay leaf

In skillet, brown chicken in hot fat. Season with salt and pepper and place in a 2 quart casserole. Drain excess fat in skillet; add remaining ingredients except celery and bay leaf. Heat, scraping up browned pieces. Pour over chicken. Tuck in celery and bay leaf. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 hours. Remove bay leaf and celery, if desired, before serving.

~Serves 4-6

Notes:

1. Cut your chicken up into roughly four pieces (2 breast halves, 2 leg/thigh pieces); use the rest for stock making or discard.
2. Use the butter called for as the "hot fat" in which you brown the chicken, brown the skin-side.
   She also said the carrots were so good that next time she'll use more!