Serves 4
1 lb hickory smoked bacon, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 chicken quarters, bone in, skin on
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
24 oz Perennial Artisan Ales’ Heart of Gold
2 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
¼ cup grain mustard
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
Perennial Beer-Braised Chicken
Preparation Heat a large pan over high heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crispy and fat is rendered. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and set aside.
In the same pan, over high heat, add olive oil. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Place chicken, skin-side down, in the bacon fat. Once skin is seared and golden brown, flip chicken over and sear the other side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium and add onion, carrots and celery. Cook until soft and fragrant. Deglaze pan with beer, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add herbs, mustard and brown sugar, and stir to combine.
Return bacon and chicken to the pot, and cover with chicken stock. Add stock as needed to completely submerge chicken in liquid.
Cover the pot with a lid or aluminum foil and simmer on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove chicken pieces from the pot, taking care to keep pieces whole. Place on a sheet pan while finishing the sauce.
Strain sauce through a fine mesh strainer, and discard the mirepoix and herbs. Remove fat from the sauce using either a gravy separator or ladle. Return sauce to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes to allow sauce to thicken.
Reheat chicken in sauce and serve over roasted vegetables.