Each recipe in a recently published A Taste of Slovakia cookbook had been tested at least twice, so we had a good choice of photos from different shoots when my graphic designer was laying out the book pages.

Sometimes a batch of pictures came out so well that it wasn’t easy to choose just one or two. At other times, we had a completely different problem and I had to repeat the same dish over and over again to finally get a photo we were reasonably happy with.

When leafing through the book now, I can still see flaws and imperfections, but that’s what learning is about – a work in progress, constant refinement of the style and honing your skills. Although the recipe below is identical with the one that appears in the book, the photos are different, so those who own or have seen a copy can compare, judge and comment.

Chicken Braised in Beer

Serves 4

• 1 chicken, gutted and carved
• 200 g smoked bacon, sliced
• 500 g sauerkraut
• ¾ cup dark beer (200 ml)
• salt, pepper, caraway, paprika to taste

Method:

1. Use half of the bacon slices to line the roasting dish. Put the sauerkraut on the bacon slices and spread around evenly.
2. Wash the chicken pieces and pat them dry. Rub the seasoning onto the chicken and put it on the sauerkraut. Cover with the rest of the bacon slices.
3. Pour some of the beer over the chicken and put in the oven. Cook at 200°C for about 40 minutes, adding more beer when needed. The chicken is cooked through when the meat is coming away from the bone. Increase the temperature to 250°C and cook for another 5 – 10 minutes to give the chicken a nice, golden brown crust.
4. Serve with boiled potatoes or rice and a garnish of sauerkraut.

The juicy sauerkraut adds exciting zing to the dish, which together with a subtle undertone of the beer and crispiness of the bacon makes for a delectable Sunday lunch.

As I wrote in the post on Delicious Sauerkraut Soup, sauerkraut is a very popular ingredient in my country, especially now that it is still in the grip of a long, cold winter.

As for beer, I learnt about its many uses in the kitchen when I was researching recipes for my cookbook – and I was surprised by the new flavours this ingredient imparted to classic dishes.