It’s hard to believe that a week ago we still had 100° highs here in Sacramento. Now it’s finally starting to feel like fall, and even though I’m still wearing shorts around the house (call it denial), the flip flops are gone and warm wooly socks have taken their place. It’s time for stews and slow braises like this one, rich, savory, and warming. This beer braised chicken is a riff off a classic Belgian carbonnade, a slow braise with sweet, malty dark beer, mustard, with chicken thighs smothered in onions.
The thing to note is that you can’t use any old beer. You want a dark beer, a “malty” beer, one that has richness and body, and sweet notes. The beer cooks down with the stock and mustard, forming a beautiful sauce for the finished dish.
Beer Braised Chicken and Onions Recipe :
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 6 chicken thighs, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds
- Salt
- 3 pounds yellow onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick, root to stem, about 6-8 cups sliced
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 Tbsp smooth Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups dark beer
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Freshly ground black pepper
What beer you use matters. Dark beers tend to be more full bodied and malty and sweet. They will work well in this stew. Hoppy beers like IPA or pale ale are too bitter for this stew and should be avoided. For this recipe we've used Moylan's Kilt Lifter, a Scottish ale, and also Ommegang Abbey Ale. A soft Belgian beer like Flanders Red or one of the Chimay beers would also be ideal.
