It’s National Wine Day! There is no better way to celebrate a good wine with good food. Here is a recipe that combines the two. Enjoy! Serve with a Beaujolais or a burgundy. 🍷🍷🍷

Ingredients:

• 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 3 1/2 pound chicken parts
• Pacific Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 small onions, medium diced
• 1 head garlic (about 10 to 12 cloves), lightly smashed
• 1 pound carrots (about 4 medium), cut roughly into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken, or vegetable broth
• 2 cups medium-bodied red wine
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Honeyland Manuka Honey 
• 5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes

Preparation:

Place mushrooms in a bowl, cover with warm water and allow to soak 30 to 40 minutes until softened.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over high heat for a couple minutes. Add the chicken and brown well on all sides for about 10 minutes total. Remove and set aside on a plate. Lower heat to medium and saute onions, garlic, and carrots for 5 minutes. Add the broth, wine, Manuka Honey, shiitake and thyme. Stir to combine, and then add the chicken back to the pot.

Cover pot and transfer to oven. Bake for 2 hours, turning the chicken over twice. Add the potatoes to the pot and bake, uncovered, for another 30 to 45 minutes longer until both the potatoes are fork-tender and chicken breaks off the bones.