50 minutes
A cozy meal of chicken thighs braised in apple cider with fresh apples and greens, perfect for a chilly evening.
0 lb
to taste
to taste
tablespoons
Shallots, thinly sliced
0 oz
Fresh Sage, roughly chopped
tablespoons
Garlic, minced
cloves
cups
tablespoons
tablespoons
cups
Curly Kale, bite-size pieces
0 oz
Red Apple, thinly sliced
each
1. Prepare and Sear Chicken Thighs
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with kosher salt and black pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat canola oil over medium heat. Add chicken thighs skin-side down and cook until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes, then flip and cook for another 4 minutes.
2. Cook Shallots and Sage
Pour off excess fat from the pot. Add thinly sliced shallots and roughly chopped sage, cooking over medium-low heat until shallots soften, about 3 minutes.
3. Add Garlic and Deglaze
Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in apple cider and apple cider vinegar, scraping up the browned bits from the pot. Stir in Dijon mustard and let it reduce for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Braise Chicken
Return the chicken thighs to the pot and add chicken broth. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is tender.
5. Add Greens and Apples
Add curly kale and thinly sliced red apple to the pot, cooking until the kale wilts and the apple is tender, about 5 minutes. Optionally, broil the chicken thighs for 2 to 3 minutes for extra crispiness.
6. Final Seasoning and Serve
Finish the dish with a final drizzle of apple cider vinegar and serve.
For deeper flavor and juiciness, always opt for bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. The bone imparts flavor, while the skin provides a beautiful, crispy texture when seared properly.
Start with a hot, dry pan and do not rush the searing process. Allow the chicken skin to become a deep golden brown, which enhances both the flavor and the presentation. Resist the temptation to move the chicken too soon; it's ready to flip when it releases easily from the pan.
Choose firm, slightly tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. They hold their shape during cooking and balance the richness of the chicken and sweetness of the cider.
Before adding apples and greens, deglaze the pan with a splash of cider vinegar to lift the flavorful browned bits from the bottom. This adds complexity and depth to the sauce.
Taste the sauce towards the end of cooking and adjust the seasoning. If it's too sweet, a squeeze of lemon juice or additional cider vinegar can bring balance. Fine-tune with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Comments (0)