1. Heat up a 12 inch aluminium skillet over a medium flame. Melt 1 Tbl of lard in the skillet. Sear the chicken until it is brown on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Degrease the skillet.
2. Heat up a Dutch Oven over a medium-low flame. Render the bacon in pan. When the bacon is brown, remove it and pour off all but 2 1/2 Tbl of bacon grease. Gradually, sprinkle the flour into the grease. Stir constantly with a whisk until the roux is blonde in color and offers up a slightly nutty aroma. Introduce bay leaf, carrot, onion, garlic and peppercorns into the pan. Saute the vegetables until soft, about 8 minutes. Pour in the stock. Whisk until the roux is perfectly incorporated with the liquid.
Heat up the skillet and deglaze it with wine. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to dislodge the residue. Pour the contents of the skillet into the Dutch oven. Place the chicken into the pan. Throw in the thyme and cayenne pepper. Season with salt. Bring the contents of the pan slowly to a boil, seal the pan with a tightly fitting lid and simmer very slowly until the chicken is super-tender, about 1 hour.
Halve the tomatoes. Remove chicken from the pan. Strain the remaining contents in the pan lightly through a fine mesh collander or a chinois. Return the golden sauce to the Dutch oven. Float the tomatoes in the sauce. Braise them slowly until well-heated. Check the sauce for consistency. If the sauce does not coat the back of a spoon, reduce it. Return the reserved bacon and chicken to the pan to warm them up. Cut off the heat and cover. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving.