1 ea 4# Chicken cut into six pieces brined for 4-6 hours (recipe follows)
1 T Unsalted butter
1 T Vegetable oil
To taste Salt and Pepper
8 ea Cloves of garlic
8 ea Sprigs of fresh thyme
6 ea Leaves fresh sage
12 oz Leeks, cut into ½ inch half moons; white part only
6 oz Merry Monks

Method

1. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Allow to sit at room temperature for about an hour. The dryer the skin, the crispier it will be.
2. Melt the butter with the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.
3. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper, then place skin side down in the fat.
4. Once chicken is in the pan, leave it alone. Let the chicken cook for at least 2 minutes or until the skin starts to brown. Then tuck all the garlic and fresh herbs into pan trying to get as much contact with the fat as possible.
5. Continue to cook the chicken, skin side, until deep golden brown. Flip and place in a 400 degree oven. Cook chicken until an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
6. When the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and allow it to rest. Add the leeks to the pan and place over medium heat. Scrape up and much the brown stuff from the pan as possible so it doesn’t burn.
7. Once the leeks are starting to soften, add the Merry Monks. Allow to simmer for a few minutes to bring the flavors together.
8. Serve with the chicken and the Merry Monks Fries would be an excellent idea.

Merry Monk’s Brine

2 c Water
12 oz Merry Monks, cold
1/4 c Kosher salt
1/4 c Light brown sugar
1 T Black peppercorns
6 ea Sprigs fresh thyme
3 ea Leaves of sage

Method

1. Bring the water to a boil. Then add all the ingredients, allow to cool to room temperature.

6 ea heads of Belgian White endive
3 1/2 c Water
6 oz Merry Monks
1 tsp Salt
1 oz Cider vinegar
6 ea Slices of prosciutto or other dry ham, cut in half
4 oz Sliced Gruyere

Method

1. Add the water, beer, salt, and vinegar to a pot. Bring to a simmer. Add the endive.
2. Simmer endive until just fork tender. Test the core at the bottom of the endive.
3. Remove from the liquid and allow to cool. Then cut them in half the long way.
4. Season the endive with a little salt and pepper. Then lay the cheese on top of the endive. Then wrap the prosciutto around the endive and place in a baking dish.
5. Once all the endive is wrapped in ham, bake at 400 degrees until the cheese melts and the ham is crispy on top.

Thursday December 16, 5 to 8 pm join us at Pearly Baker’s Ale House on the circle in beautiful downtown Easton, to kickoff the new installation of 5, yes FIVE Weyerbacher taps!  Meet the Weyerbacher brewers and crew, and even Dan at Pearly’s this Thursday!  Be there or, you know, …..