Chicken with Dark Beer (Coq à la Bière)

"Southerners in France like their chicken cooked in wine, preferably a rich red, but northerners go for the caramel intensity of dark beer laced with plenty of onions. The sweetness of the beer is enhanced with a spicing of juniper berries and a shot of gin, the local tipple. I enjoy a puree of celery root or lentils on the side, but the traditional accompaniment would be mashed or boiled potatoes. The chicken can be prepared ahead and refrigerated in its sauce up to three days, or freeze it up to one month. Thaw, reheat, and add the yogurt and vinegar before serving." —AW

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned
• 2  bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 2  chicken drumsticks, skinned
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 1  tablespoon  canola oil
• 3  tablespoons  dry gin
• 3/4  cup  chopped celery
• 3/4  cup  chopped peeled carrot
• 1/2  cup  chopped shallots (about 3 medium)
• 3  juniper berries, crushed
• 1  (8-ounce) package mushrooms, halved
• 3  sprigs fresh thyme
• 3  sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  cup  dark beer
• 1/4  cup  whole-milk Greek-style yogurt
• 2  teaspoons  white wine vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Combine first 3 ingredients; sprinkle evenly over both sides of chicken. Heat butter and oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove pan from heat. Pour gin into one side of pan; return pan to heat. Ignite gin with a long match; let flames die down. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

2. Add celery, carrot, shallots, and juniper berries to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms. Place thyme, parsley, and bay leaf on a double layer of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together; tie securely. Add cheesecloth bag to pan. Return chicken to pan, nestling into vegetable mixture. Stir in beer; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty parts of chicken registers 160°. (Breasts may cook more quickly. Check them after 35 minutes, and remove them when they're done; keep warm.)

3. Discard cheesecloth bag. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Place pan over medium heat; stir in yogurt. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated (do not boil, as the yogurt may curdle). Remove from heat; stir in vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired. Place 1 chicken breast half or 1 drumstick and 1 thigh on each of 4 plates; top each serving with about 3/4 cup sauce and vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

370 (0.0% from fat)

Fat:

16g (sat 6.6g,mono 5g,poly 3g)

Protein:

30.8g

Carbohydrate:

15.1g

Fiber:

1.4g

Cholesterol:

103mg

Iron:

2mg

Sodium:

465mg

Calcium:

55mg