"Chicken in Lager," A Partial Fail.

Post number 11, I am well two out of the single digits and was just starting to feel in The Silver Spoon groove.  Tonight's recipe, "Chicken in Lager" read like a very easy recipe.  Ah Silver Spoon, you elusive creature!  This easy recipe is for sure the most unsuccessful I have done.

Essentially, SS says to salt and pepper the cavity of a chicken, cut up leeks, carrots and onion and add everything into a pan with four cups of beer.  The recipe also says that the beer should almost cover the chicken entirely.  This is where I went wrong.  I added a little more than the amount stated and it still didn't cover the chicken, I mean it was not even close, so then I added a lot more.  Then, as directed, I brought the mixture to a boil and set a timer for 30 minutes.

After thirty minutes I flipped the bird, as SS told me to, and then began to worry that none of the beer had evaporated as SS had it would.  I set the timer for an additional 30 minutes as directed and tried to watch The Wire with my fiance.   I don't think I gave it a fair chance because of the beery quality of my chicken.  When the timer went off my chicken was still drowning in beer so I gave it a little more time and grilled some left over polenta from my dinner party.  Checking in with the chicken again, the beer level was still too high and it hadn't turned the golden brown that SS had described.  The color was more of a rubbery tan.  Damn.

Ah well, dinner was served and predictably my fiance said it was delicious.  He called the left over beer "beer gravy," (more like beer soup, - Ed.)  and was excited that it combined two of his favorite things.  The chicken was tender and tasted fine, but I wanted the caramel color and crisp skin.  If I had it to do over again, I would add only four cups of beer, maybe a little less depending on the size of the bird.  I think that would do it.   Oh well, I look onward to a week filled with SS recipes including but not limited to "Pot Roast with Cream," " Sausages and Leeks," and "Warm Mushroom Salad."