The day before, cut the rooster or chicken into eight pieces. Peel the carrots and cut them into pieces. Peel the onion and stud it with cloves. Place the meat in a large container with the carrots, garlic, bay leaf, and onion. Cover with red wine and let it marinate for 12 hours.
On the day you prepare the dish, sauté the bacon bits in a Dutch oven to render some of their fat, then set them aside.
Melt the butter in the casserole dish. Drain the pieces of meat, then brown them on all sides until they are nicely browned.
Stir in the bacon bits and pour in the strained marinade. Add hot water until the mixture is covered. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the pearl onions, which have been peeled beforehand.
Let it simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Then add the chopped button mushrooms and continue cooking for another hour.
Remove the chicken pieces from the casserole dish. Stir in the chicken stock to thicken the sauce, then return the meat to the dish. Keep warm until ready to serve.
