Creamy Apple Cider Chicken
This heavenly dish celebrates both the sweetness and acidity of apples. Crispy, juicy chicken thighs are braised with apple wedges, shallots, sujuk and herbs, in a creamy sauce with apple cider and apple cider vinegar. It is best served with a creamy potato mash and a cup of cold cider!
Ingredients
100g of sujuk, finely chopped
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry and cleaned of excess fat
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ tablespoon of unsalted butter
¾ tablespoon of chopped sage leaves
1 ½ tablespoons of French thyme leaves, plus more for garnish
3 large shallots, finely sliced
2 apples, cut into wedges
2 small garlic gloves, finely sliced
2 teaspoons of all purpose flour
330ml of apple cider
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
⅔ cup of chicken or vegetable stock
1 ½ tablespoons of Dijon mustard
¼ cup of cream
How to make this:
Preheat the oven to 215°C. Place an ovenproof, heavy bottomed pan on medium-high heat.
Place the sujuk in the hot pan and fry for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove the crispy sujuk onto a plate but keep the pan hot.
Generously season the chicken with salt and black pepper. Brown the chicken over medium-high heat, starting with the skin side down until golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Melt the butter in the hot pan then add the sage, thyme, shallots and apple wedges. Sauté over medium-high heat until the apples start to brown around the edges, for about 4 minutes. Lightly season with salt. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, for about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
Turn the heat up and deglaze the pan with the cider, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the vinegar and broth, then stir in the mustard and cream. Return the crispy sujuk to the pan, then nestle the browned chicken into the apple wedges skin side up, but don't fully submerge them. Don't forget to pour the chicken resting juices into the sauce! Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Turn the broiler on for the last 5 minutes to crisp up the chicken skins.
Garnish with thyme sprigs and sage, and leave it to cool down for 5 minutes before serving. Serve over creamy mashed potatoes and don’t forget that cold cider!