Beer Braised Chicken

This is similar to my Mom's chicken Dijon in some ways. Instead of wine, it uses beer. Instead of Dijon it uses ground mustard (we used Gulden's). This is VERY easy and good.

Beer Braised Chicken

Ingredients:

¼ lb slab or thick cut bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2lbs) (I used 2 chicken breasts cut up)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (I used regular salt as I didn't realize it was supposed to be Kosher until now)

All purpose flour, for dredging

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 12 ounce bottle beer (preferably brown ale)

1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed (if you can't find them frozen, skip. NOT worth trying to peel fresh ones)

½ lb small red-skinned new potatoes, halved (cooking will take less time if you quarter them)

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

2 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

4 sprigs fresh thyme

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1) Heat large pot over medium high heat

2) Add the bacon and cook until browned, about 5 minutes

3) Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate

4) Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess

5)Add the olive oil to the drippings in the pot

6) Add the chicken in batches and cook over medium high heat until golden on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes, then flip and sear the other side, about 1 minute

7) Add the beer, onions, potatoes, mustard, sugar, thyme and 1 cup water to the pot and stir, making sure the chicken is fully submerged

8) Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes (we halved the potatoes so while the chicken was done in 15, the potatoes weren't. It probably took 30 minutes total)

9) Discard the thyme and stir in the bacon and parsley

~Food Network Magazine, April 2010, page 82