Beer Braised Chicken

My weekly dinners have been put back into full effect! I got this recipe from the Food Network Magazine: April, its an older magazine but ive pretty much finished doing the good ones from the newer mags. Beer and chicken. Such a good combo together, when the alcohol cooks out of beer, it leaves the dish tasting as if it was on the stove all day. This recipe was good but not a favorite. It packed too much sweetness for me. It might have been due to the 2 tbsp of brown sugar or the type of beer that i choose. Dont get me wrong it had good flavor just a little on the sweet side. The amount of vegetables to meat wasnt enough either, if you make this id suggest less brown sugar more vegetables and a little bit more cooking liquid if your using meat that's pretty thick.

All in all it was tasty. I served it with some over roasted carrots that i just tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and a little bit of lemon juice. Put them on a cookie sheet on 450 and let them cook for 20 minutes. They were deliciously sweet and still had a little crunchiness to them.

Here is the recipe for the chicken...

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound slab or thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 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
• 1/2 pound small red-skinned new potatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparations:

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Add the olive oil to the drippings in the pot. 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.

Add the beer, onions, potatoes, mustard, sugar, thyme and 1 cup water to the pot and stir, making sure the chicken is fully submerged. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Discard the thyme and stir in the bacon and parsley.

Not a hard recipe to make at all. Perfect for a weeknight dinner. ENJOY!