Marcus’s Beer Braised Chicken
For those who saw this on last night’s Facebook post, here’s the recipe:
Heat a small amount of butter in a dutch oven, brown 4 chicken thighs skin side down, turn and repeat.
Remove browned chicken and half the fat, add one diced onion, cook for 3-4 minutes, then add
1/2 inch segments of celery and carrot (or ideally, small bunch carrots, tops removed)
and quartered small potatoes – cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Add 1 12 ounce bottle of dark beer, plenty of salt and black pepper, a dusting of smoked paprika or ground chipotle, and a couple sprigs of rosemary. Stir.
Put the chicken back in the dutch oven, rearranging the vegetables so the things are in as much beer as possible (the veg can be out of the liquid). Bring to a low boil, cover, and simmer for an hour-plus. Remove from heat when the chicken is fork tender.
The fun part: remove the things and place a baking sheet. With a ladle, remove 3/4 of the braising liquid and transfer to a small skillet. On medium heat, reduce to a thick sauce, then brush the thighs with the sauce, reserving 1/3.
Turn on the broiler on high and when it’s ready, put the chicken underneath and broil until the skins crisps a bit/the sauce begins to char. Remove. Serve vegetables and braising liquid in a deep bowl first, a chicken thigh on top, spoon the last bit of reduction on top. Eat with abandon.
Works with a wide variety of wine and beer. I recommend something earthy, like a lighter Nebbiolo or a medium-bodied Pinot.