Bourbon Chicken

Saturday is Derby Day. My daughter became fascinated with horse racing when she was only seven years old. The stable where she took lessons also trained jockeys. She was so interested in horse racing that we took her to Del Mar to watch the Breeder’s Cup for her 8th birthday.

When Patricia found out that we were moving to Maryland one of her first questions was, “Can we go to the Preakness?” I told her I would do my best to get her to all three legs of the Triple Crown. Unfortunately, we were not able to go the Kentucky Derby, though I did eventually take her to Churchill Downs. While we were in Kentucky, we stopped by Jonabell Farm to visit Affirmed, the last Triple Crown Winner.

We went to the Preakness and then the Belmont Stakes, dragging my husband and son along with us. My son has very little interest in horses so I bribed him. I told him if he was good at the Belmont Stakes, I would take him to the American Museum of Natural History. He was absolutely angelic.

Though my children have grown a lot since these pictures were taken, they are still not old enough to partake in Mint Juleps while watching the Derby. Instead, I will cook off the alcohol and make Bourbon Chicken. Bourbon Chicken is not a traditional Derby dish, but since it contains Kentucky bourbon and is absolutely delicious I think it should be.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. chicken, cut into bite size pieces
splash of olive oil

Sauce Ingredients:

1/4 cup bourbon (surprisingly, the distilation process makes this gluten-free)
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon catsup
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken. cook over medium-high heat until chicken is completely browned.

In a small bowl, use a whisk to combine all of the sauce ingredients. Make sure that the cornstarch has been completely incorporated and the sauce is lump free.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened, approximately 10 – 15 minutes.

Serve over rice.

Will you be watching the Kentucky Derby this year?

For more delicious recipes, visit Foodie Friday and Friday Potluck.