Beer for Dinner

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 yellow onions, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 poblano or Anaheim peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 6 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 10 garlic, chopped
• 6 large sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 2 12-ounce bottles brown ale, such as Newcastle
• 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 pound okra, stemmed, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 12 cups canned low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 28-ounce cans peeled whole tomatoes with their liquid, crushed
• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, (about 6 ears)
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken, and toss well to evenly coat. Heat 1/2 cup olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide 20-quart heavy-bottomed pot. Add half of the chicken, and brown, turning once, until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a large bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to the pot and brown remaining chicken; transfer to the bowl and set aside.

Add the onions, peppers, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot, and season well with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add ale and bring to a simmer, scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add potatoes, okra, chicken stock, tomatoes and their liquid, corn, and red pepper flakes, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add reserved chicken, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until vegetables and chicken are tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 cup flour together with the milk until smooth. Stir mixture into the stew and return to a simmer. Cook until very thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Reseason with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Serve with a dash of hot sauce, if desired.

Serves 24.

Thanks to Vox

Labels: bayleaves, carrots, celery, chicken, corn, evoo, garlic, hotpeppers, hotsauce, lemon, milk, okra, onions, peppers, potatoes, stew, stock, thyme, tomatoes

Posted by Steve at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 2 tablespoons anise seeds
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsley chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads (I omitted this as those are expensive, and it still tastes and smells good)
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
• 8 skinless chicken thighs
• Salt
• 1 cup shelled fava beans
• 1/2 cup fresh peas
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound button mushrooms halved
• 8 scallions thinly sliced
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• One 12-ounce bottle belgian beer
• 1/2 cup heavy cream.
• 1/4 cup coarsley chopped flat parsley.

In a small skillet, toast the anise seeds over moderate heat, shaking the skillet until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let the seeds cool slightly, and then crush with the side of a knife.

In a mini food processor, combine the seeds, garlic, saffron (if using), paprika, anc cayenne. Add the lemon juice and puree. Transfer to a large, shallow bowl and stir in 1/2 cup olive oil.. Ad dthe chicken thighs and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

While the chicken is marinating, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add salt and the fava beans, and cook for one minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fava beans to a small bowl and cool slightly. Add the peas to the boiling water and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the peas. Peel the fava beans and add to the peas.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron casserole. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, scraping off the excess. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper and cook over moderatley high heat, turning occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes.

Wipe out the casserole, add the butter and heat until melted. Add the mushrooms, sliced scallions, and cook over moderate heat sirring occasionally, until any liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the beer, and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the casserole.

Return the chicken thighs to the casserole and season wth salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Add the cream, fava beans, and peas, increase the heat to moderate, and cook uncovered until the sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.

Labels: beans, butter, cayenne, chicken, cream, flour, garlic, lemon, mushrooms, oliveoil, paprika, parsley, peas, saffron, scallions, stew, thyme

Posted by Steve at 8:58 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1 plump chicken without giblets
• 1 can of beer
• 2 heaped tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 heaped teaspoon mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder (I like powdered chipotles for this, but you can use cayenne pepper)
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 heaped tablespoons soft dark brown sugar

Snip through any strings holding the chicken's legs neatly together, and spread them out. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and rub them all over the chicken, then add a tablespoon of the rub to the cavity of the chicken and smear it around a bit with the back of a spoon. Leave for the flavours to penetrate for two hours at room temperature. Meanwhile, open the beer can, pour half of the beer out and drink it. (This is a fun recipe.) Use a metal skewer or a nail and hammer to make a few more holes in the top of the half-full beer can.

Put a tablespoon of the remaining rub in the can with the beer. It will froth and bubble, so add your rub carefully. After the two hours are up, rub and remaining spice mix onto the chicken and push the bird carefully, bottom (that's the end with the legs) first, onto the upright beer can, as in the picture. Roast the whole apparatus at 180° C (350° F) for 1 hour and 30 minutes, remove the bird carefully from the can without spilling any beer, and rest for ten minutes before serving. (If you are a lucky person with a large and easily controlled barbecue, try cooking the chicken in there over some flavorful wood - it'll be delicious.)

Don't be tempted to use the hot beer as a sauce. It'll taste bitter and revolting, so just pour it down the sink. Let the chicken's natural juices (there will be plenty, and they'll come out of the bird as it rests) act as a gravy. This is a great dish with a salad and a pilaf or cous cous. Serve with a couple of nicely chilled cans of whatever beer you used in the cooking.

Thanks to Gastronomy Domine

Labels: allspice, brownsugar, chicken, chilipowder, cinnamon, mustard

Posted by Steve at 9:52 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 50 chicken wings, wing tips removed (save for future soup stock, if desired)
• 2 (12-ounce) bottles beer
• 1 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• 1 to 2 lemons, sliced thin, for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large roasting pan with foil.

Cut chicken wings in half at the joint and place wings evenly in roasting pan.

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the beer, molasses, peanut butter, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and chili powder.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer over low heat about 15 minutes until sauce has reduced and thickened.

Pour sauce over chicken wings, tossing to coat each wing. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.

Place wings on a large platter, and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Garnish with lemon slices and serve.

Yield: 15 to 20 servings

Thanks to Peggy Trowbridge

Labels: chicken, chilipowder, lemon, molasses, mustard, parsley, peanutbutter, wings, worcestershiresauce

Posted by Steve at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 5 to 6 chicken leg quarters
• 2 tablespoons Jamaican jerk seasoning
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups parboiled rice
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) bock beer
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 can (16 ounces) red or pink beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro

Coat chicken all over with jerk seasoning. In a large pan with lid, warm oil over medium heat.

Cook chicken in two batches, turning frequently until well-browned, about 8 to 10 minutes per batch. Remove chicken to plate. Pour out all but two tablespoons of pan drippings.

Add onion, chiles, ginger, garlic and salt to remaining drippings in pan. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until onion is lightly browned. Stir in rice and cook for 1 more minute. Add beer, coconut milk, beans and half of cilantro. Return chicken to pot along with any accumulated juices.

Bring chicken mixture to boil, cover pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. Stir in remaining cilantro.

Serves 4

Thanks to Lew Bryson

Labels: beans, chicken, chiles, cilantro, coconutmilk, garlic, ginger, jerkseasoning, oliveoil, onion, rice

Posted by Steve at 9:58 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 8 chicken thighs
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• one large onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 cans of fire-roasted diced green chilies
• 1 15 oz. can of fire-roasted tomatoes
• a pinch of saffron
• 2 tsps of chicken base (or 2 bouillion cubes)
• 1 1/4 cups of uncooked brown rice
• 6-8 large green pimiento-stuffed olives (whole or sliced in half width-wise)
• 1 1/2 cups of lager or pilsner beer (just not dark beer)
• water or broth (if needed)
• 1/2 can or jar (about a cup) of petite sweet peas, drained (Yes, canned! They are one of my guilty pleasures. Okay, frozen is fine, but canned adds a little sumthin'-sumthin'.)

Add oil to a large (lidded) saute pan and heat to medium-high. Salt and pepper the chicken and saute until nicely browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Add onion, garlic, green chilies to pot and saute until onion is soft. Stir in tomatoes, saffron, and chicken base. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 10-15 minutes, flip chicken once during cooking. Add rice, beer, and olives, reduce heat to low, cover and continue cooking until rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Check periodically and if rice is looking too dry add a little water or broth if needed. Just before serving, stir in peas and warm through. Serves 4-6.

Serve with a green salad on the side, or for a heartier meal (to serve more people) serve seasoned black beans as well.

Thanks to CityMama

Labels: brownrice, chicken, chiles, garlic, olives, onions, peas, saffron, stock, tomatoes

Posted by Steve at 7:58 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 4 lbs. whole chicken
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) beer
• 1/2 cup MAGGI TASTE OF ASIA Cooking Soy Sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons peeled, chopped fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

PLACE chicken in large, heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. Add beer, soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, cilantro, ginger, garlic and oil. Marinate, turning chicken occasionally, for at least 4 hours or overnight.

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Place chicken and marinade in 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BAKE, basting occasionally, for 1 hour 20 minutes or until juices run clear when thigh is pierced. Transfer chicken to platter.

STRAIN pan juices into medium saucepan; spoon off fat and discard if necessary. Boil for 6 to 8 minutes or until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup. Serve sauce with chicken.

(Makes 4 servings)

Thanks to BBD

Labels: asian, brownsugar, chicken, cilantro, ginger garlic, lime, soysauce

Posted by Steve at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• Salt
• 1 pound penne rigate, pasta with lines
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, any brand, casing removed and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped or thinly sliced (1 large jalapeno my be substituted)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 ribs celery from the heart with greens, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup beer, 1/2 bottle
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 (14-ounce) can, crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce (recommended: Franks Red Hot or Tabasco) eyeball it
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1/2 pound chicken breast, diced into small pieces
• 1/2 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and tails removed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, eyeball it
• 2 scallions, sliced

Heat a pot of water to a boil for pasta and add salt to it then pasta. Cook to al dente and drain.
While pasta works, heat a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, butter and andouille. Brown the sausage 2 to 3 minutes to render the fat. Remove with a slotted spoon. Add garlic, peppers, celery and onions. Saute the veggies for 5 to 6minutes. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and add flour to the pan. Cook flour with veggies 2 minutes more then whisk in beer. Cook beer out, 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, hot sauce and thyme. Bring liquid to a bubble and add chicken and shrimp. Cook 6 to 7 minutes until chicken is firm and shrimp are opaque and firm. Stir to mix in cooking juices then add in cream. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Ladle up the jambasta and top with chopped scallions and reserved crispy andouille.

Thanks to Rachael Ray and ThatJournalist

Labels: butter, celery, chicken, cream, evoo, flour, garlic, hot, onion, pasta, peppers, sausage, scallions, shrimp, stock, tomatoes

Posted by Steve at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1 pound chicken white meat -- cut in cubes
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2/3 cup beer -- dark
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flour, all-purpose
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons black pepper -- freshly ground
• Peanut oil

Combine the buttermilk and beer in a nonreactive bowl. Add the chicken chunks and refrigerate for 2 hours, but no longer.

Combine the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, rice flour, paprika, salt, and pepepr in a small bowl and mix well.

Drain the chicken and toss lightly in the breading mixture to coat.

Pour enough peanut oil into a heavy skillet so that it is 2" deep. Heat the oil to 355 on a frying thermometer (or, for you experienced cooks, test the oil with a little bit of the damp flour mix - the noise will tell you when it's ready to fry). Carefully drop in the chicken. Fry for about 2-1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain.

Serve immediately, or good cold.

Link

Labels: chicken, cornmeal, fry, milk

Posted by Steve at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1 package chicken thighs (6 count)
• 1/2 package Hilshire Farms Polish Kielbasa (or other smoked sausage), sliced
• 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 large white onions, chopped (DO NOT use a food processor)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 2 cups white rice (regular white rice. NOT Minute rice!!!)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 12oz beer (Budweiser works fine)
• flour to coat chicken
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Rosemary
• 1 teaspoon Thyme
• A handful of chopped parsley (hard to put too much)
• Salt to taste
• Lots of cayenne pepper

Start off by washing the chicken and placing it skin side down on a plate (you can remove the skin if you want). Now, depending on how spicy you want it, coat the chicken with Cayenne pepper until very red (I use a LOT of Cayenne in mine). Don't worry about getting it too hot, since this is the majority of the pepper you are going to add and it will cook into the rest of the dish. Turn the chicken pieces over and lightly coat the skin side. Let sit for 15 minutes or so to soak it all up.

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large heavy cast iron or aluminum pot (don't use thin aluminum or stainless steel since the rice will tend to stick and burn if you're not really careful). Place the flour in a paper bag (season the flour lightly with salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, etc). Place a couple of pieces of chicken at a time into the bag and shake to coat.

Fry the chicken in the oil until golden brown. Don't worry about cooking it all the way through just yet. Remove the chicken. Now place the onions, celery, garlic and bellpepper into the pot (along with a bit more oil if necessary) and saute them until the onions are transparent, scraping the bottom of the pot often. Add the rosemary, thyme and parsley and cook for a minute or so.

Place the sausage slices, chicken, and a little water into the pot and mix well with the vegetables. Turn heat low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes (until the chicken is tender). Stir the mixture frequently, always scraping the bottom to keep things from burning (break the chicken up a bit with the spatula as it cooks. It should break up naturally as the dish cooks, but this just helps things a little).

When the chicken is cooked, add the washed rice and stir it into everything for a couple of minutes. Pour the warm beer and the water in and stir things for another minute or so. Taste it at this point and adjust the salt if necessary. Now, keeping the heat low, cover the pot and cook until the rice is tender (anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour). Stir the mixture every now and then, scraping the bottom of the pot.

Thanks to joyofcookingguide.com

Labels: cayenne, celery, chicken, garlic, hot, kielbasa, onions, peppers, rice, sausage

Posted by Steve at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 5 to 6 chicken leg quarters, skin removed
• 2 tablespoons dry Jamaican jerk seasoning
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups parboiled rice
• 1 bottle bock beer (12 ounces)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 can red or pink beans (16 ounces), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, divided

Coat chicken all over with jerk seasoning.

In large Dutch oven or other large pan with lid, warm oil over medium heat. Cook chicken in two batches, turning frequently, until well browned, about 8-10 minutes per batch. Remove chicken to plate. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons pan oil.

To drippings in pan, add onion, chiles, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook, stirring 3-4 minutes, until onion is lightly browned. Stir in rice and cook for additional minute. Add beer, coconut milk, beans and half of cilantro. Return chicken to pot along with any accumulated juices.

Bring chicken mixture to a boil, cover pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer 30-35 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through. Stir in remaining cilantro.

Serves 6.

Nutrition Information, Per Serving: 620 calories; 20 g fat; 8 g saturated fat; 55 g carbohydrate

– from the National Beer Wholesalers Association and the Kane County Chronicle

Labels: beans, chicken, cilantro, garlic, ginger, hot, milk, onion, rice

Posted by Steve at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post