The Countrytown Cookoff: The Wolfe Brothers' Nick Wolfe's Chicken Bourbon

The Wolfe Brothers like to keep busy. They recently returned to ABC Music, impressed (and met Bon Jovi) in Nashville, and played shows across Australia on their Still Livin’ The Dream tour.

How do they maintain the energy needed to sustain their career? Eat nutritious, yummy, home-cooked meals, of course. Today, Nick Wolfe from The Wolfe Brothers shares a mouth-watering recipe close to his heart with Countrytown: his Bourbon Chicken recipe with a side of rice.

Last month, The Wolfe Brothers were in the studio working on a new album, per a press release, following a string of recent amazing moments.

In 2023, the Australian duo took their Livin’ The Dream tour across the country and won three Golden Guitar Awards at this year’s Tamworth Country Music Festival: Group or Duo of the Year, Vocal Collaboration of the Year (Runnin’ The Country with Travis Collins) and the prestigious Album of the Year (for Livin’ The Dream), bringing their total to nine Golden Guitars.

Earlier this year, The Wolfe Brothers performed with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in a once-in-a-lifetime musical event. Highlighting the duo’s 13-year career in country music, The Wolfe Brothers just might take the show across the country in the future.

How often do you get to slow down and enjoy something as humble as a recipe with a band as busy and beloved as The Wolfe Brothers? Sit down, have a read, look at the picture of the dish, and take notes: you’ll want to make this one with the band’s music playing in the background.

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THE COUNTRYTOWN COOKOFF: Nick Wolfe’s Bourbon Chicken

A few years ago, when we were spending a lot of time in Nashville, I fell in love… with a simple but delicious food court dish.

Many times after we’d finished writing or recording, we would drive down to Opry Mills and head to the food court, and I would absolutely demolish a serving of Bourbon Chicken from a shop called Kelly’s Cajun Grill.

Once back in Australia, my cravings for this refused to subside, so I took matters into my own hands, scouring the internet for recipes. None were quite right, but I experimented and eventually perfected what I believe to be the perfect Bourbon chicken.

Now, spoiler alert… there’s no bourbon in it. The name apparently comes from Bourbon Street, New Orleans, where a very clever chap first came up with it in the early 1900s. From what I understand, it’s a kind of food court staple in the USA.

INGREDIENT LIST

1kg Chicken Breast or Thighs

Onion

Olive Oil

Tomato Sauce

Minced Garlic

Cornflour

Apple cider vinegar

Apple Juice

Brown Sugar

Chilli Flakes

METHOD

Take one kilogram of chicken—thighs or breasts—and cut it up into bite-size chunks and cook these. I like to do this on the BBQ for a bit of smokiness. Make sure it’s cooked, of course, but don’t dry it out! Set this aside, and let’s get into the sauce.

Finely chop an onion and cook it in olive oil in a large deep-frying pan. Add a healthy dose of minced garlic, about a tablespoon.

Next, add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, one-third cup of apple juice, and one-third cup of soy sauce. Stir and cook a little.

Then, add a big squirt of tomato sauce, 1 tbsp of cornflour, and a sprinkle of chilli flakes - I go easy on these, but if you like the heat, sprinkle away! Stir it up and simmer some more.

Now comes 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Stir it through and let it dissolve. (By now, the kitchen will smell like heaven.)

Throw the chicken you cooked earlier back in and stir it through. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, then serve it with a side of rice… and maybe pour yourself a bourbon to enjoy it with for your efforts!

I hope you enjoy it. If I can cook this, anyone can!

PS: If there's any leftover, the sauce goes great on a steak.