Beer Braised Chicken – 2016 Red Carpet Menu for Oscar®

Oscar® Week is moving along! Here’s the next dish for our 2016 Red Carpet Menu for Oscar®!! 

Our second appetizer is based on the movie, “BRIDGE OF SPIES“… it’s “BRAISE OF THIGHS“! Beer braised chicken with honey glaze. 

I focused on “bridging” the plot of the movie to it’s name in creating this dish. Using a German doppelbock was the ideal solution. Thanks to Marc Mogol for suggesting the thighs!  

Here’s how: 

INGREDIENTS: 
The Rub: 
• 1 tsp black pepper 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary 
The Braise: 
• 2.5 lbs chicken thighs skinless
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 2-1/2 cups german doppelbock or other dark beer 
• 1 small onion, chopped 
• 1/4 cup honey

DIRECTIONS: 
1) Mix spices together. Toss chicken in the spices until it’s well coated. 
2) Add olive oil to large skillet and on medium high heat, brown chicken on all sides. Set aside. 
3) Deglaze the pan by adding 1 cup beer to the pan and, using a wooden spoon and raising the heat to high, scrape the bottom of the pan to get up any brown bits. Add chopped onions to the skillet and sauté until they are softened. 
4) Bring the heat down low and add the chicken back into the pan and pour 1 cup beer over it. Cover and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue to simmer covered for another 20 minutes. 
5) Transfer the chicken to a dish. On high heat, bring the remaining liquid to a boil, adding about 1/2 cup more beer and the honey. Remove from heat when it reaches a syrupy consistency and pour over the chicken.  

My usual chicken go-to is chicken breasts but chicken thighs are the “in” cut and very flavorful. The combination of the spices with the beer and honey glaze makes this quite an intoxicating dish! 

Annette