Coq au Vin Blanc

Prepare Marinade: Combine white wine, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oil, parsley, peppercorns, and salt in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let marinade cool to room temperature.

Arrange chicken pieces in a large nonreactive container and pour cooled marinade over them. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Prepare Coq au Vin: Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Strain marinade and reserve liquid; discard the vegetables.

In a 6-quart heavy kettle or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Brown chicken parts in bacon drippings in Dutch oven. Remove chicken from Dutch oven and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add olive oil and onions; sauté onions until lightly browned -- 8 to 10 minutes. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and shallot; sauté 5 minutes longer.

In a medium bowl, combine the reserved marinade liquid and the flour. Add mixture to the Dutch oven with the chicken broth, vinegar, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Return chicken to Dutch oven and cook, covered, for 45 minutes. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are fork-tender--about 20 minutes more. Divide the mixture evenly among six serving bowls. Garnish each serving with reserved chopped bacon.