These chicken thighs have no skin and no bones which means nothing stands between you and that flavorful and tender dark meat. (order by the the pound, size varies)
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*Recipe (and corresponding photo) courtesy of Elisabeth Stephan.
Beer-Braised Chicken Thighs
A warming stew that’s perfect for the nasty weather outside… You may be familiar with the French coq-au-vin, but this comfort food is cooked with beer! For the braising, a pilsner or lager, a soft Belgian beer like Flanders Red or one of the Chimay beers will be ideal.
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs skinless or skin-on chicken thighs
- sea salt or Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 to 3 medium sweet or yellow onions, chopped
- 1 to 2 bulbs of fennel, cut into large wedges
- 1/2 lb of white or crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 (12-ounce) bottles of pilsner or wheat beer
- 2 cups unsalted or low sodium chicken stock or broth
- 4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme (For convenience, tie them together with butchers twine.)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 leeks, cut into thin slices (or 1 cup of peas)
- 3-4 tablespoons of crème fraîche
- 1/2 bunch of fresh chopped dill
Cooking:
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and salt and pepper them on all sides. (If desired, the braising liquid can be turn the into a thicker gravy later, by dusting the chicken with a bit of flour before searing. Without flour there will be delicious sauce after reducing it for a while, as well.)
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium heat and sear the chicken thighs well on all sides in batches, without crowding the pan. Remove the thighs from the pan and set aside. Remove the skin, if preferred.
- Sauté the onions, fennel, mushrooms and herbs (thyme and bay leaves) in the same pan until the onions are golden. Then deglaze the pan with 2 bottles of beer. Use a wooden or silicone spatula to loosen all the tasty, caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the seared chicken thighs the pot again.
- Add 2 cups of chicken stock to submerge the chicken and vegetables. Bring everything to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally for about 30-40 minutes.
- In the last 10 minutes or so of the cooking process, add the thinly slices leeks (or peas) to the pot and cook until they are tender. Season the sauce to taste with salt and fresh pepper.
- When the chicken is tender, remove the large pieces of fennel (discard) and stir in 2 tablespoons of crème fraîche
- Serve with steamed rice, pasta or potatoes and sprinkled the finely chopped dill on the finished plate, along with another dollop of crème fraîche.