Chicken braised in white wine & cream

Serves 4

8 chicken pieces (you could also use chicken leg portions, in that case, only use 4)
1 onion, halved
1 carrot, halved
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
200ml white wine (I used Chardonnay)
250ml cream
300ml chicken stock
fresh thyme stalks
salt & pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 180°c.
In a large, oven-proof pot, brown the chicken all over.
Remove the chicken from the pot and add the onion, carrot and garlic to the pot, allow to fry for 30 seconds then add the bay leaves and wine.
De-glaze the pan, scraping all the sticky bits off the bottom. Add the cream and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken back to the pot and pour over the chicken stock.
Add the thyme stalks and cover the pot. Place in the oven and allow to oven braise for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the lid from the pot after 30 minutes and allow the sauce to reduce for 15 minutes.

Season to taste and serve.