Paired with a Pilsner
Zach and I have become a huge fan of date night in. We kind of spend the whole weekend celebrating. We spend our Fridays planning, and our Saturdays celebrating! The two of us are definitely homebodies. Except for Friday evenings, we don’t go out very much, and that is completely OK with us. Why go out when you can make an amazing meal at home!? We have been taking turns coming up with the menus for Saturday night. My menus have looked a little something like this: braised lamb, roasted veggies, creme brulee…Zach’s menus have looked a little something like this: chicken wings, nachos, pigs in a blanket. Could they be more different?!
These spicy chicken thighs and seared avocados in pilsner butter sauce were definitely not a recipe that Zach came up with. Ha! It was, however, the perfect date night meal. For date night in, I like to have a menu that both of us can partake in. I don’t want to be doing all the cooking, obviously, and this recipe is perfect for 2 sets of hands as there are quite a few steps involved.
What I love so much about this dish as that while it does take a certain amount of steps, it is soooo simple, and with two people working on it, it can be ready in under an hour. I love when elegance only takes 60 minutes. ;)
This is definitely a recipe to add to the vault you guys. It has SO much flavor and so much texture, that you will want seconds AND thirds! In addition to cooking with a pilsner, pair this dish with one too! Enjoy!
Yields 4
15 minPrep Time
1 hrCook Time
1 hr, 15 Total Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 cup Pilsner beer
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 1/2 pound angel hair pasta
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced in half, pitted, peeled (leave the halves intact)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- fresh thyme (garnish)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper. Season the chicken with the spice mixture on both sides. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a large nonstick, oven-safe skillet, add the oil. Heat over medium-high heat, and then add the chicken, skin-side down. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until very brown. Remove from heat and transfer the chicken immediately to the oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from heat and let rest for about 4 minutes.
- While the chicken is baking, prepare your sauce. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and thyme and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the pilsner and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat back to medium-low and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the chopped kale and cover. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the kale is tender and wilted. Set the heat to low to keep warm.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and then stir the pasta into the sauce. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat and cover.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with a nonstick spray. Sprinkle the pit side of the avocadoes with the sugar and place them inner-side down. Sear the avocados until brown and caramelized. Remove the avocados from the pan.
- Place the chicken thighs and avocado halves on top of the pasta in pilsner butter sauce. Garnish with fresh thyme and grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
This dish can take on a very heavy beer taste if the beer isn't reduced enough. If you are nervous about this or don't care for the taste of beer, then you may substitute for wine or broth.
