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. For those of you who are avoiding alcohol, you may be able to find an non-alcoholic beer that works for this recipe, perhaps Kaliber from Guinness, or Erdinger Weissbier. 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. Brown the chicken on both sides well. Remove the browned thighs from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Cook the onions slowly, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes. If you are using unsalted or low sodium stock, you will likely need to add more salt. Add freshly ground black pepper and more salt to taste. Serve over egg noodles or with rice or potatoes. Belgian Chicken Soup - from Savour Fare Colombian Chicken Stew with Beer - from My Colombian Recipes Beer Braised Chicken Enchiladas with Chile - from Use Real Butter
