Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Beer- and Onion-Braised Chicken Carbonnade

According to Bon Appetit, a carbonnade is technically a Belgian beef stew, but this recipe uses chicken; I think I prefer all the flavors this way. The original recipe was cloyingly sweet, so we've made a fair number of modifications to make it suit our tastes. This is an excellent weeknight recipe as it is reasonably quick.

Serve over egg noodles (one of my favorites!).

2 Tbs unsalted butter
4 large chicken thighs with skin and bones
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 lb onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp (packed) dark brown sugar
4 small bay leaves
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup dark beer (we use Guinness. Don't use something too malty.)
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tsp red wine vinegar
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and allspice. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate.

Add onions and 1 tsp brown sugar to skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and sauté until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in bay leaves, mustard, and remaining 1/2 tsp brown sugar. Add chicken, skin side down, then beer, broth, and vinegar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover skillet and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens, turning chicken occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

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