Bourbon Glazed Chicken

This has quickly become my "go to" grilled chicken.  I've used a whole chicken (as the original recipe states); boneless, skinless thighs; and most recently a whole mess of legs.  So far, the best has been the boneless, skinless thighs.  They turn into these  wonderfully tender little bits of goodness.  A testament to how good these are is the fact that my kids are positively covered in the sauce when dinner is done, which makes this the perfect outside meal!  Oh, almost forgot!  A good friend of mine was making this recently and she and her daughter pulled a Julia Child, bourbon for the chicken, bourbon for me!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs canola oil 

1 small yellow onion finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup bourbon

1 chicken, about 4 lb cut into 8 pieces (I purchased a whole, cut up fryer. Much easier)

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Bourbon Glaze:

In heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm oil.  Add onion and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Stir in ketchup, molasses, vinegar, and bourbon.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low, simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Grill Chicken:

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Lightly oil grill rack.  Place chicken, skin side down, on the rack.  Position legs, thighs, and wings closest to the heat.  Cover and cook, turning pieces occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer reads 170, about 50 minutes.  During last 10 minutes of grilling, brush pieces generously with sauce.  Remove from grill and serve immediately.

Serves 4

*Derived from Williams-Sonoma