The Magic Pot

I do believe I may have extolled the virtues of this pot before.  It's a 2 3/4 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven that can be used on the stovetop as well as in the oven.  It's mushroom colored not green as it looks by the light of the oven and is the perfect size when cooking for one or two.

Today's recipe is a keeper and so fitting for a grey winter day.  I cut the recipe in half and followed it almost exactly.  I had to use whole grain brown mustard because it was all I had and I added carrots to the pot because I love them cooked this way.  The recipe can be found here, make sure you read the part about the beer. 

Beer Braised Chicken  from Simply Recipes

1 teaspoon butter
3 chicken thighs, about 1 to 1 1/4 pounds
Salt
1½ pounds yellow onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick, root to stem, about 3-4 cups sliced
½ Tbsp brown sugar, packed 
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Tbsp smooth or whole grain Dijon mustard
3/4 cup dark beer (I used Michelob Amberbock)
½ cup chicken stock
4-6 carrots, cut in chunks of uniform thickness
Freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy pot with a lid, such as a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and set them skin side down in the butter. Salt the meat side lightly. Brown the chicken on both sides well. Remove the browned thighs from the pan and set aside in a bowl.

Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan, taking care to not discard any of the tasty browned bits.  Lower the heat to medium and add the sliced onions to the pan.   Sprinkle brown sugar over the onions. The added sugar will intensify the natural sweetness of the onions. Cook the onions slowly, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.

Add the bay leaf, thyme, mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt, and beer to the onions. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the carrots, chicken thighs and the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

Bake, covered for 45 minutes at 300⁰ then uncover the pot and simmer until the liquid is greatly reduced and the meat wants to fall off the bone, between 45 minutes and 1 hour.  Add freshly ground black pepper and more salt to taste.

Serve over egg noodles or with rice or potatoes.