1.	Heat the oil in a casserole or large, wide pan and fry the lardons until crisp.
2.	Add the sliced leek and soften it with the lardons for a minute or so.
3.	Cut chicken thighs into 2 or 3 pieces each, tip them into the pan with the bay leaves, torn mushrooms and wine.
4.	Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer gently for 30–40 minutes, stirring in the double cream for the last couple of minutes if you want. Like all stews, this tastes its mellowest best if you let it get cold and then reheat the next day. But it’s no hardship to eat straight off. Whichever, serve sprinkled with dill and together with some buttered noodles.

I don’t bother to sear the meat, which means you really need skinless portions; unbrowned chicken skin is not pretty. If you’re not buying thighs, but thigh fillets, then it is probably more helpful to think in terms of boned weight, rather than the number of portions: go, here, for about 1.25 kilos. I tend not to add any cream to this first time around but, if I have a small amount left over, I add a little double cream and turn it into a pasta sauce. I like to eat my coq au Riesling as they do in Alsace, with a huge pile of buttered noodles. Whether you add cream or not is entirely up to you.