Beer-Braised Chicken and Roasted Asparagus

I found that I love cooking with beer almost as much as I love cooking with wine!

Both recipes from Food Network Magazine.

Beer-Braised 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

Directions

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.

Roasted Asparagus

Directions

Toss 2 pounds trimmed asparagus, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast at 450 degrees F until lightly browned, 15 minutes. Mix 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, the grated zest of 1 lemon, and salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the asparagus.

*Note: For the asparagus, I chose to leave out the pine nuts, and it still tasted great!