Pulled Chicken Barbeque on Beer Bread with Pickled Cucumbers

Makes 4 Servings
Hands-On Time: 20 Minutes
Total Preparation Time: 20 Minutes

Suggested Accompaniment
Cole slaw

Ingredients
1 recipe Beer Bread (recipe below) or use 4 large rolls or hamburger buns
1 recipe Basic Barbeque Sauce (recipe below) or 2 cups store-bought sauce
1 recipe Dill Pickle Cucumber Slices (recipe below)
4 c packed shredded skinless cooked chicken from a large storebought rotisserie chicken

Directions
1. Prepare the Beer Bread, Basic Barbeque Sauce and Dill Pickle Cucumber Slices, if using, or bring the prepared sauce to a boil in a medium saucepan and warm the store-bought buns.

2. Add the chicken to the sauce and heat until hot.

3. Cut the Beer Bread, if using into 8 slices (about 4 by 3 inches each). Place pieces of bread on each of 4 serving plates and divide the chicken mixture among them. Top the chicken with the pickled
cucumbers, if using, and another piece of bread.

Beer Bread
Makes 4 Servings
Hands-On Time: 10 Minutes
Total Preparation Time: 30 to 35 Minutes

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 c unbleached all-purpose flour
3 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp table salt
One 12-ounce bottle good-quality beer

1. Place an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the butter in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or pan and set it in the oven while the oven is preheating.

2. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the beer until it is just incorporated. (The dough will be sticky and heavy.)

3. Pour 6 tablespoons melted butter out of the pan into a cup; tilt the pan to coat the bottom and sides with the remaining butter. Spoon the bread dough into the pan and spread evenly; drizzle the 6 tablespoons melted butter over the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bumpy top is golden brown.

4. Remove the bread from the oven to a cooling rack; cut the bread into rectangles and serve warm.

Basic Barbeque Sauce
Makes 2 Cups
Hands-On Time: 7 Minutes
Total Preparation Time: 27 Minutes
1 T vegetable oil
1 garlic clove
2 c ketchup
¼ c cider vinegar
¼ c Worcestershire sauce
2 T packed dark brown sugar
1 T Creole seasoning (recipe below) or use store-bought seasoning
2 t dry mustard
Kosher salt and freshly black pepper

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot; reduce the heat to low and press the garlic (about 1 teaspoon) into the oil. Sauté it for about 1 minute or until it just begins to turn golden.

2. Add the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, Creole seasoning, and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat; reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, partially covered to reduce spattering, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use as directed in a recipe or transfer to a nonreactive jar or bowl, cover, and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

Dill Pickle Cucumber Slices
Makes 1 1/3 cups
Hands-On Time: 10 Minutes
Total Preparation Time: 10 Minutes

One 5 to 6-inch piece of seedless(English) cucumber
2 T fresh dill leaves or 1 t dried
2 T cider vinegar
1 ½ t sugar
½ t kosher salt
1/8 t freshly ground black pepper

Thinly slice enough of the cucumber to make 1 1/3 cups. Finely chop the dill (about 1 tablespoon). Combine the cucumber with the vinegar, dill, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small nonreactive bowl. Set it aside at room temperature and use within an hour, or cover and refrigerate for later use.

Creole Seasoning
Makes about ½ cup

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon hot paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme

Combine the paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne, oregano, and thyme in a small bowl. Transfer to a tight jar or tin and use as directed in a recipe.

Cook’s Notes
Flour – You have several options for the beer bread – you can use regular old unbleached all-purpose flour. You could use organic flour. You could use half of either one of those and half regular whole wheat flour or even white whole wheat flour (yes, there is such a thing and boy does it fool the kids
because it does not make your bread look brown). You can find all of these choices on line at www.kingarthurflour.com.