Stewed Chicken with Beer and Mushrooms

I love winter in Taipei as the weather is cool and I can have fun dressing up with coats and scarfs. But downside of it is that, it rains almost everyday! The sky is depressingly grey and the ground is often wet and slippery. Going out has become a chore too as I have to carry an umbrella all the time. Because of the cold and wet weather that I'm experiencing right now, I've been cooking stewed dishes very often lately and one of the new recipes that I tried out few days ago was a stewed chicken with beer and mushrooms dish. If you're craving for some stewed dishes to keep yourself warm, give this recipe a try!

Stewed Chicken with Beer and Mushrooms Recipe
Recipe adapted from きょうの料理ビギナーズ 2007年 12月号

Ingredients:
2 whole chicken drumsticks, rinse and chopped into pieces
2/3 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, to taste
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1 onion, chopped finely
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
1 tomato, chopped finely
200g button mushrooms, rinse and cut into halves
350ml beer
1 bay leave
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3 to 4 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:
1) In a medium bowl, marinate chicken pieces with salt and pepper, set aside for 10 to 20 minutes.
2) Lightly coat chicken pieces with flour. Heat up oil in a frying pan. Pan-fried both sides of the chicken pieces until golden brown. Dish out and set aside.
3) Melt butter in the frying pan, saute onion and garlic until fragrant. Add mushrooms and chicken pieces and then make a few quick stirs.
4) Add beer, tomato and bay leave. Cover the pan and cook in medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Turn the chicken pieces 2-3 times in between.
5) Season the dish with salt and black pepper. Dish up and serve immediately.