Chicken stewed in cider and apples

Serves 6 Starters and mains

Jp  Chiken  Apple Cider

Advertisement

Ingredients

  • olive oil
  • 1 free-range chicken (1.8–2kg)
  • 1 apple, peeled, cored and halved
  • 2 onions, finely sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 sage leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 500ml cider
  • 400ml fresh chicken stock
  • 25g unsalted butter
  • 1tsp caster sugar
  • 3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 8 pieces
  • 75g sultanas

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/ Gas 3. Heat a layer of oil in a large casserole dish. Season the chicken inside and out, then brown all over. Set aside and put half of the apples inside the cavity.

Add the onions to the dish and fry for 10 minutes to soften. Return the chicken to the pan and add in both the herbs, cinnamon and cider and bubble for a few minutes, then add the stock.

Bring to the boil, then cover and transfer to the oven for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat a little oil and the butter and fry the rest of the apples with the sugar until golden brown and caramelised. Add the sultanas, coating in the buttery juices. Add to the casserole about halfway through the cooking time.

Remove the lid of the casserole dish and turn up the oven to 220C/430F/Gas 7. Cook for 10 minutes more to brown the top of the chicken, then serve.

Recipes and Photographs taken from Basque: Spanish Recipes from San Sebastian and Beyond by Jose Pizzaro. Photography by Laura Edwards (Hardie Grant, £25).
Jp  Chiken  Apple Cider
Recipes and Photographs taken from Basque: Spanish Recipes from San Sebastian and Beyond by Jose Pizzaro. Photography by Laura Edwards (Hardie Grant, £25).

Advertisement

Get Premium access to all the latest content online

Subscribe and view full print editions online... Subscribe