Beer, Bacon & Chicken

We love beer. We love bacon. We love chicken. So why not combine them all into one dish? I saw this recipe in the Food Network Magazine. If you don't get it, you should. It's one of the magazines that actually has tons of recipes in it, instead one of those food magazines that has five recipes and 100+ pages of lifestyle stuff. If I wanted the lifestyle stuff I would buy Allure or something. Anyhow, this recipe was super easy and didn't even dirty that many dishes (which made Kevin happy).

Here is what you need:

1/4 pound slab of bacon, or thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Salt and pepper

Flour

1 tablespoon EVOO

1 12-ounce bottle brown ale beer (I chose Barley Island's Dirty Helen)

1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed

1/2 pound small red potatoes, quartered

2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard (I used dijon instead)

1 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Fresh thyme

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

The first thing you need to do is heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook about five minutes, or until browned.

Remove the bacon from the pot and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside. Leave the bacon grease in the pot. Add the EVOO to the pot and continue to heat over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken through the flour, shaking the excess off. Add chicken to the hot oil.

Add the chicken to the pot and cook about six to seven minutes until browned on one side. Turn the chicken and sear another two or three minutes until the other side is seared.

Add the beer, onions, potatoes, mustard, sugar, thyme and one cup water to the pot and stir, making sure the chicken is fully submerged. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the bacon and the parsley.


Of course, Oscar was up to no good trying to get to our food as we were eating it!