Culinary Disasters

I have been craving sauerkraut lately and normally I will braise a 2 pound Boston Butt in this mixture but faced with a package of chicken thighs that were defrosted I decided why not. 

The sauerkraut part of this dish was adapted from one of my favorite cooking books of all times (bonus points to those who actually know this)……..Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Out of all my cookbooks Julia still holds a place dear to my heart.  Also, it is the same sentiment I see whenever Yen Can Cook comes on TV because that was the first cooking show I truly would sit down and watch. 

For this recipe you will need:

• 1/2 lb of bacon cut up
• 4 chicken thighs
• 1 onion diced
• 2 carrots diced
• 3 cloves of garlic diced
• 1 bottle of pale ale
• 1 28 ounce jar of sauerkraut
• bouquet garni consisting of 4 stems of parsley, 4 sprigs of thyme, 1 bay leaf, 10 peppercorns crushed, and 10 juniper berries crushed)
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Over medium-high heat cook the bacon till crispy and the fat has rendered out.  Remove from the pan leaving that beautiful grease behind and set aside.

Salt and pepper the chicken thighs and add them and cook till browned all over (about 5 minutes a side).  Remove and set aside.

Add in the carrot and celery and cook till softened (about 5 minutes).  Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add in the bottle of beer and reduce by 1/4 (about 5 minutes) and make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan.  Add everything back into the pot, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer till the chicken thighs are done (about 30 minutes).

Serve and enjoy!

Tags: chicken, pork, All //