Peach-Whiskey Barbecue Chicken (aka Hurricane Chicken)

Today it looks like this outside:

So thanks to Hurricane Irene, Becca and I are stuck inside for the whole weekend.  We went to the grocery store yesterday to stock up on food, bottled water, batteries, wine, tequila, and bourbon (the most important things to have during natural disasters).  All day we didn't have much to do besides watch tv, cook and clean, so it was a perfect day to make the Peach-Whiskey Barbecue Chicken that we've been wanting to make for a couple weeks now.  This recipe is entirely thanks to Pioneer Woman, and her original blog entry can be found here: Pioneer Woman.  Feel free to admire her photography, because it is far superior to mine.

Start with some chicken thighs:

Heat some butter and olive oil in a large, oven-proof pot:

Place the chicken thighs, skin down, in the butter/oil mixture.

Brown until golden and then flip to brown on the other side.

Remove to a separate plate, and drain out about half the fat.

Chop up one large onion or two medium onions.

Cook the onions in the butter/oil until soft.

Now for the best part.  Pull out a bottle of whiskey.

And pour out a cup and a half.  Yes, a whole cup and a half.  

Pour all the whiskey into the pot and use a wooden spatula to scrape off all the bits of onion and chicken stuck to the pot.  Stir it around and let it reduce for a few minutes.

Next, grab a bottle of barbecue sauce.

Pour the whole bottle into the pot.

Then grab a jar of peach preserves.

Spoon the whole jar of peach preserves into the pot.

Fill the jar about halfway full of water, and pour that into the pot too.

Pour in a couple of tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.

Smash and peel a few cloves of garlic, and dump them in too.

Whisk it all together.

Put the chicken back in the pot.

Put the pot in the oven, and let it cook for 1 1/2 hours.  Now, this next part is very important.  Pour two shot glasses full of whiskey.  Find your roommate (or whoever) and drink the shots.  This is critical to ensuring your full appreciation of the chicken's flavor.

After 1 1/2 hours, take the chicken out of the oven.  By this point, the meat will be falling off the bone, and the sauce will have become "magical" (according to Pioneer Woman).

Serve the chicken with a big piece of cornbread and some sort of vegetable (so that your meal is healthy).  It's incredibly, wonderfully, beautifully delicious.

Enjoy!  Hopefully the next time I write, I will have gone a few days without earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, or natural disasters of any variety.  Also, I'm off to Switzerland for a few days, so you can expect a non-food-related blog post about that!

Much love,
Sarah

Peach Whiskey Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients

• 12 whole Chicken Thighs, Bone-in, Skin-on
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
• 1-1/2 cup Whiskey
• 12 ounces, fluid Barbecue Sauce
• 1 jar Peach Preserves
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 4 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• 3 whole Green Onions, Sliced Thin

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Heat oil and butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Place chicken thighs, four at a time, in the pot, skin side down. Brown both sides, then remove to a plate and repeat until all chicken is browned.

Pour off half the grease, then return pan to stove. Add onions to pan and stir, cooking for 2 minutes. Pour whiskey into the pot, being very careful if you're using an open flame. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan, allowing whiskey to reduce for a minute or two. Pour in barbecue sauce, peach preserves, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Throw in garlic cloves. Stir until combined, then return chicken to the pot, skin side up. Cover and put pot in oven.

Cook for 1 1/2 hours, then remove from oven.