Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs and thighs, cut apart
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• ¼ pound lean ham, cut into ¼ inch cubes
• 1 T canola oil
• 4 sliced carrots
• 8 small onions, 1 ½ inch diameter
• ½ pound small mushrooms
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 ½ cups chicken or beef broth
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 1 cup Charles R Zinfandel
• ½ t dried thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 T each cornstarch and water
• 1-2 cups maple syrup

Instructions

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a wide frying pan over medium-high heat, cook ham in 1 teaspoon of oil until lightly browned; remove from pan. Add 1 more teaspoon of oil to pan and cook chicken until golden brown (brown only, not cook). Add to ham. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil, carrots, and onions to pan; cook until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add to chicken and ham.

Add mushrooms, garlic and 2 tablespoons of broth to pan. Cook, uncovered, until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are golden brown. Return chicken, onions, and ham to pan. Combine mustard, the remaining broth, wine and thyme. Pour over chicken, add bay leaf.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat near bone is no longer pink when cut, 35 to 40 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Place chicken and vegetables in a serving bowl and cover. Over high heat, reduce pan juices to 1 ½ cups. Mix cornstarch and water; stir into juices.  Add maple syrup to taste.   Cook, stirring, until sauce boils. Pour over chicken. May serve with mashed potatoes.    

Pair with Charles R Zinfandel, of course. Serves 4