Not Everything is Pumpkin Spice During the Fall...How About Hard Cider!

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Make Not Everything is Pumpkin Spice During the Fall...How About Hard Cider!

This simple braised chicken thigh recipe yields wonderfully crispy skin and the hard apple cider, onions, and smoky bacon to make a tasty sauce.

Hard Cider-Braised Chicken Thighs with Onions & Bacon

Serves 2 to  4

Total time:  1 hour

Ingredients

4 slices hickory smoked bacon, cut into 1/2 inch strips 

4  bone-in chicken thighs

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 medium red onions, sliced thin

2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

3 sprigs fresh thyme

12 ounces best quality hard apple cider 

1 cup chicken stock

1/8 cup heavy cream

Mashed potatoes, for serving

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Set aside. Leave bacon fat in the pan.

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, sear the chicken thighs until golden brown, about 5 minutes each side. Remove chicken to a plate. Set aside.

To the pan add onions, stirring to coat in the rendered fat. Sauté until onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, sauté about one minute more.

Carefully add cider, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Turn heat up to high. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and thyme. Bring mixture to just a boil. Add chicken back to the pan, skin-side up.

Place pan in the oven, uncovered, and continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, skin is crisp, and liquid has thickened slightly, about 40 minutes.

Remove from oven. Remove chicken to a cutting board to rest. Remove thyme sprigs, discard. (If sauce is too thin, you can reduce the liquid over high heat until a syrupy consistency is reached. Remove from heat before stirring in cream.) Stir in cream. Taste for seasoning, add salt and/or pepper if needed. Add reserved bacon.

Plating/Presentation

Place a mound of potatoes on the center of a warmed plate. Place chicken on top of the mashed potatoes with a generous helping of sauce and onions. Green Beans or roasted Brussels sprouts would be delicious accompaniments! Try a very dry non-oaked Chardonay or a Pinot Noir with this meal.....a slightly sweetened iced tea is too good for words with this dish as well

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