Cider Braised Chicken Recipes

CIDER BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
• Add the onion to the skillet and saute for 1 minute. Add the cider and chicken stock, and cook over high heat until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the chicken to the pan, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes.
• Remove the chicken breasts from the pan, and place on a warmed serving platter. Raise the heat to high and reduce the cider sauce until 1/4 c remains. Stir in the mustard and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken and garnish with parsley.

CIDER-BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken with 2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then brown chicken, skin side down first, turning once, 8 to 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate, discarding oil.
• Wipe out skillet, then boil remaining ingredients until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet and braise, covered, turning once, until chicken is just cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter. Boil sauce to thicken if necessary. Whisk sauce if separated and season with salt, then pour over chicken.

CIDER-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH APPLES AND GREENS

Steps:

• Pat the chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
• In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over medium. Cook the chicken thighs skin-side down, undisturbed, until the skin is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook until lightly browned on the other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from the pot, turn the heat to medium-low, then add the shallots and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
• Add the cider, cider vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the cider has reduced slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot, skin-side up. Pour just enough broth around (not on!) the chicken to cover the sides of the thighs but not cover the skin on top.
• Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Partly cover and gently simmer until the thighs are cooked through and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate or sheet pan (if you'd like to broil the chicken in the next step), raise the heat to medium, and add the kale and apple to the pot. Cook, tossing often, until all the kale is wilted, the apples are just softened and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. While the greens cook, if you'd like to crisp the skin on the chicken, pop it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Taste for seasoning, and stir in 1 or 2 more teaspoons cider vinegar to taste. Divide the chicken and kale mixture among shallow bowls; serve with crusty bread to mop up broth.

CIDER-BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Dust the chicken with the flour.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet and sear the chicken pieces for a few minutes on each side until they are golden brown.
• Transfer the chicken to a medium-sized pot and deglaze the skillet with half of the cider (1 cup). Let it simmer for a minute then add it to the chicken with the rest of the cider, leek, tomato sauce and bay leaf.
• Simmer on low heat, partially covered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (I did not cook this long - more like 40 minutes, perhaps my heat was not as low).
• Add the cream, cook to heat through, and throw on some chopped parsley or chives.

FRESH CIDER-BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat 2 T. butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add 3 onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and browned, about 12 minutes. Add prosciutto and stir. Remove to bowl. Add 4 T. butter and the apples to skillet; cook until tender and browned. Return onion mixture to skillet; remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Tie chicken legs together with kitchen string. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Remove to plate.
• Add remaining onion, the carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf, parsley, 1 T. dried marjoram, and the thyme to the Dutch oven. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Place chicken, breast side up, on vegetables. Pour in 1/2 cup broth; cook until reduced to glaze, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth and reduce again to glaze. Add 1 cup broth and the cider. Heat to boiling, cover, and place in oven.
• Bake chicken until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with knife, 45-60 minutes. Remove chicken; keep warm.
• Strain cooking juices into heavy saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1-1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup juices over onion mixture in skillet; heat through. Add fresh marjoram.
• Cut chicken into pieces; arrange on platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon onions around chicken, then spoon remaining juices over chicken.

CIDER-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH APPLES AND KALE

Steps:

• Arrange rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Season chicken all over with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper, then rub with 1/4 cup mustard, making sure to get mustard under skin.
• Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large heatproof high-sided skillet or heavy braising pan over medium-high. Sear chicken, skin side down, until golden-brown, about 8 minutes. Turn chicken, then arrange apples and onion around chicken. Add wine and 1 cup cider, then transfer to oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat remaining 1/2 cup cider, 1 Tbsp. oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a large pot over medium; add kale, cover, and cook until wilted. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, divide kale among plates.
• Transfer chicken, apples, and onion to plates with a slotted spoon. Heat remaining liquid in skillet over high. Add cream and remaining 1 tsp. mustard and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
• Spoon sauce alongside chicken and kale. Garnish with tarragon, if desired.