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beer- and onion-braised chicken |
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Monday, 27 April 2009 |
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beer- and onion-braised chicken
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Lately, I’ve been making this dish over and over for guests. And the recipe’s not even mine; I cribbed it from Bon Appetit (kudos to the test kitchen geniuses who thought of it). When you serve it with two favorite Tuesday Recipe side dishes (see below), you have a healthy, balanced meal that can idle in the oven while you relax with your friends.
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serves 4 to 6
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prep time: 20 minutes |
braise time: 40 minutes |
8 large chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on (see note)
salt and ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 small bay leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 bottle (12 ounces) dark beer
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Preheat oven to 375°.
Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and allspice. In the bottom of a 5- to 7-quart Dutch oven or stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add half the chicken thighs, skin sides down, and cook until the skin is browned and the thighs release easily from the pot when turned with tongs, about 4 minutes. Brown the meat on other side. Transfer to a plate and continue with remaining thighs, adjusting heat under pot as needed. Remove thighs and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the oil.
Add the onions to pot and stir until they soften a little, about 2 minutes. Stir in brown sugar, reduce heat to medium-low, and cover pot; cook until golden brown, lifting lid and stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in bay leaves, mustard, and beer and bring to a boil. Arrange chicken thighs in pot in one layer; pour in any accumulated juices from plate. Transfer pot to oven, but DO NOT COVER; cook until chicken is almost falling from bone and sauce is slightly reduced, about 40 minutes.
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to make this a complete meal: serve with roasted kale and roasted tomatoes. Cook up some regular or Israeli couscous, then serve the chicken over that in shallow pasta bowls. Surround with the kale and tomatoes.
note: depending on the size of the thighs, you might serve one or two per person and it’s always good to have a spare or two for second helpings. That’s why I say 8 thighs serves 4 to 6 people.
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