In this version of barbecued chicken, the chicken is first braised on the stovetop until tender in a flavorful combination of beer and barbecue sauce, then quickly grilled just before serving. Use only thighs, drumsticks and wings for this recipe; chicken breasts will turn out dry when braised and grilled.
Recipe Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken thighs, drumsticks and wings
- Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 yellow onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 1/4 cups ale or lager-style beer
- 2 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
- 4 ears corn
- Herb compound butter for serving (related recipe below)
Preparation
- 1 Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- 2 In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 3 tablespoons of the oil until almost smoking. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter.
- 3 Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan along with the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the beer and barbecue sauce and bring to a boil. Add the chicken, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until tender, about 1 hour. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and let cool to room temperature.
- 4 Meanwhile, bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes. Pour the sauce into a shallow bowl and let cool to lukewarm, about 30 minutes.
- 5 Preheat an indoor electric grill on medium-high heat. Brush the chicken on both sides with some of the sauce. Grill the chicken, turning once and brushing occasionally with more sauce, until nicely grill-marked, about 3 minutes per side.
- 6 Transfer the chicken to a platter and brush with more sauce. Serve with corn and herb compound butter. Serves 4.
- 7 HERB COMPOUND BUTTER: 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives. 1 teaspoon lemon zest. 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. In a bowl, combine the butter, parsley, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mash and fold the butter and flavoring until smooth and well blended. Place a 12-inch square of plastic wrap or waxed paper on a work surface. Scrape the butter mixture onto the plastic wrap, placing it about 2 inches from the edge nearest you. Shape the butter into a horizontal cylinder about 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Wrap the butter in the plastic wrap, then twist the ends of the plastic in opposite directions; the plastic will tighten to shape the butter into a compact log. Refrigerate until the butter is firm, about 2 hours. Just before serving, unwrap the butter and cut into 1/4-inch rounds. Makes about 8 tablespoons.
