Beer-Braised Chicken

by Susan Hanna

This recipe from Canadian Living is perfect for a spring dinner party. Brown chicken thighs and set aside. Sauté vegetables and add beer, vinegar, broth, maple syrup, tomato paste, mustard and thyme. Return the chicken to the pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Add snow peas and peas and bake for another 15 minutes or until chicken is done. Garnish with watercress and serve.

Serves 6.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use a micro-brewery beer, such as Steam Whistle. Allen’s cider vinegar, Imagine Organic broth, No Name tomato paste, pure maple syrup and President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon mustard are additive-free. Check the thyme to make sure it doesn’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. For more recipes using all-natural ingredients, visit Eye For a Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 8 pieces bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 3.3 lb./1.5 kg total)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
• 1 pack pearl onions, peeled
• 8 small carrots (with stems), tops trimmed
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) all-purpose flour
• 1 12-oz (341-ml) bottle Amber beer
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cider vinegar
• ½ cup (125 ml) sodium-reduced chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) grainy mustard
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried thyme
• 2 cups (500 ml) snow peas
• 1 cup (250 ml) fresh peas or frozen
• ½ cup (125 ml) watercress

Preparation:

1. In saucepan of boiling water, blanch pearl onions about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl of ice water, cool and peel.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, skin side down; cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Transfer to plate; set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken.
3. Drain all but 1 tbsp (15 ml) fat from pan. Add onions, carrots and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden, about 5 minutes. Add flour; cook, stirring, about 1 minute.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Pour beer and vinegar over vegetables, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan with wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add broth, maple syrup, tomato paste, mustard and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine; bring to boil.
5. Add reserved chicken to pan; nestle among vegetables. Cover, transfer to oven and bake about 30 minutes. Add snow peas and peas to pan; stir gently to combine. Continue baking, uncovered, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with fork, about 15 minutes. (Make-ahead: Can be stored in air-tight container and refrigerated for up to 2 days and frozen for up to 2 months.) Sprinkle with watercress.

From Canadian Living