Simone Appetit: Brew (or cook) up some honey beer chicken
I bet you are thinking, “What a waste of beer.” Au contraire. Not only is this recipe a good use of your brew, but it requires only a half cup, not even a whole can, and as beer is cheaper by the dozen, this leaves you with an ample supply for your weekend barbecue or breakfast, depending on the weather.
The first time I made this chicken, I got a little fancy, bought a dark, rich beer, and screwed it up. Seriously, it was so pungent it should have been served with a breathalyzer. But, in my heart, I knew, just knew, this beer and honey thing could work, so I went with a light beer for the second round, and voila! Last call anyone? It was a hit.
As it is summer, I served it with a nice green salad, some wild rice and corn on the cob. My new discovery in the salad department is the packaged Arugula and Baby Spinach blend from Save Mart dressed with a light vinaigrette and tossed with pickled beets and blue cheese crumbles. My new discovery in the corn department is I can afford it this time of year.
Traditionally, I am wrestling with champagne tastes and a beer budget, but with this recipe, I win on both counts.
I ngredients:
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄ 8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup beer
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped
P reparation:
Sprinkle chicken evenly with pepper and salt and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.
Add shallots to pan and cook one minute or until translucent. Combine beer and soy sauce and mustard and in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add beer mixture to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook three minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup. Return chicken to pan; turn to coat with sauce. Sprinkle evenly with parsley.
Simone Grandmain is an internationally published travel and food writer who currently calls Truckee-Tahoe home. She welcomes your recipes, kitchen “must-haves” and food news at simonegrandmain@gmail.com.
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