Coq à La Bière (Chicken With Beer)

This recipe is from the Alsace region of France and would use Ackerland Beer, a German style beer brewed in Alsace. This can be prepared ahead and refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to one month. Thaw, reheat, and add the yogurt and vinegar before serving.

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2  bone-in skinless chicken breast halves
• 2  bone-in skinless chicken thighs
• 2  skinless chicken drumsticks
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1  tablespoon  oil
• 3  tablespoons  dry gin
• 3⁄4 cup celery, chopped
• 3⁄4 cup carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1  cup onion, chopped
• 3  juniper berries, crushed
• 1 (8 ounce) package mushrooms, sliced
• 3  sprigs fresh thyme
• 3  sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  cup dark beer or 1  cup ale
• 1⁄4 cup  Greek yogurt
• 2  teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1  tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, rough chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Combine first 3 ingredients and sprinkle evenly over both sides of chicken.
2. Heat butter and oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and sauté 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove pan from heat.
3. Pour gin over chicken; return pan to heat. Carefully ignite gin with a long match then let flames die down. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.
4. Add celery, carrot, green onions, and juniper berries to pan and sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms.
5. Place thyme, parsley, and bay leaf on a double layer of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together and tie securely. Add cheesecloth bag to pan.
6. Return chicken to pan, nestling into vegetable mixture. Stir in beer and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty parts of chicken registers 160F
7. Discard cheesecloth bag. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. Place pan over medium heat and stir in yogurt. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Do not boil, as the yogurt may curdle. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.
8. Place 1 chicken breast half or 1 drumstick and 1 thigh on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with about 3/4 cup vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.