Beer Braised Chicken

From the kitchen of the Food TV network here's yet another way to prepare America's most-served dinner protein - chicken, of course.  The alcohol in the beer unlocks flavors that otherwise go unappreciated, and the one-pot meal approach makes it fairly easy to prepare

Combine about 1 tablespoon of salt and pepper to the flour in a large baggie and shake to combine.  Heat a skillet or Dutch oven large enough for all ingredients over medium-high heat.  Add the bacon and cook until crisp and browned.  Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

 Place chicken pieces in the baggies with the flour two at a time and shake to coat.  Add the oil to the bacon drippings and brown the chicken (in batches so as not to cool the pan) over medium-high heat until golden on the bottom, 6 to 7 minutes, then flip over and sear the other side for about 1 minute. Set aside.  Repeat until all chicken is browned.

Add the beer, onions, potatoes, mustard, sugar, thyme and 1 cup of water to the pan and stir to combine.  When the mixture is simmering nicely return the chicken to the pan (the liquid should come up to just over ½ way up the chicken pieces.  Simmer until the chicken is done, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the bacon and parsley to the pan and serve.

Notes:

1. To please other family members I use breast pieces as well as thighs.  However the white meat in the breasts is not very forgiving and will dry out quickly, so extra care must be taken not to overcook them.
2. The bottled onions are a convenience, but there's no reason you can't use frozen or fresh.
3. Substitute spicy brown or Dijon if you wish.