Chicken Legs in Beer

Requiring only a stove top and an deep skillet, Chicken Legs in Beer is easy to prepare and offers a surprising taste of the exotic, suitable even for special occasions.

If you're looking for a substantial, tasty dish that's nevertheless not too rich or heavy, Chicken Legs in Beer is ideal. Rustic as it may sound, a subtle spicy note and the fresh aroma of tomato lend a hint of the exotic suitable even for special occasions.

If liked, exchange the beer for hard cider, which gives a more tangy flavor. Don't worry about the alcohol content; it evaporates completely during cooking. Another variation is to use vegetable or chicken stock in place of beer, but omit the salt in step six of the recipe if using instant stock.

The preparation time of 50 minutes is taken up mostly by browning the chicken and softening the onion. It's otherwise a quick and easy meal to prepare, no matter how inexperienced you are as a cook, or how ill-equipped your kitchen. All you need is a stove top and a deep skillet with a lid.

1. Wash and dry the chicken legs thoroughly.

2. Heat the oil in a deep skillet and fry the chicken legs until brown.

3. Remove the chicken legs and put aside.

4. Add the chopped onion and fry until soft.

5. Add the tomatoes and cook for three minutes.

Use sieved tomatoes for a smoother sauce.

6. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, paprika and ground ginger.

To prevent the sauce becoming lumpy, you need to work quickly when adding these ingredients. To speed things up, measure them out and put them together in a small bowl before you begin to cook, then you can tip them in all at once.

7. Add the beer and keep stirring until the mixture thickens.

8. Add the tomato purée and sugar.

9. Return the chicken legs to the pan, cover and simmer for one hour.

10. Serve with boiled potatoes and a green salad.

All images by Camlo De Ville