The French know a thing or two about the perfect braise, as in rabbit in cider, Calvados (apple brandy) and cream. This classic dish seems to be under the radar of many visitors.
I’ve created my own version, making just enough swaps to lighten up the dish and make it weeknight-friendly, while also capturing the iconic flavours.
Both the French version and mine get most of their apple flavour from hard cider. Or feel free to use half white wine and half regular cider. We like using sparkling apple cider — leftover from non-alcoholic celebrations.
I omit two classic ingredients: cream and apple brandy. The cream added a ton of fat and without fatty cream, the brandy became almost too strong.
I use unpeeled pears instead of apples. A tiny bit of smoky bacon and a hefty dose of sweet, caramelized onions round out the dish.
Chicken With Cider and Pears
Cooking time: Start to finish, one hour
Serves: Six
3 lbs. chicken thighs or legs (or mixed),
skin removed, bone-in
2 thick slices of bacon, cut into chunks
1 Tbsp of butter
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tsp dried tarragon
1 1/2 cup hard apple cider (or 3/4 cup regular cider and 3/4 cup dry white wine)
3 large pears, cut into wedges
1 bay leaf
1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth, if needed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Set the chicken on a plate and dry gently with paper towels and lightly season with salt and pepper. In a heavy oven-safe pan or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until it starts to crisp, about five minutes. Remove the bacon and set aside on a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Brown the chicken on all sides over medium-high heat until all sides are golden, about 10 minutes. Add the onions and butter to the pan, and cook, stirring until onions begin to soften, about three minutes. Add the garlic and tarragon and cook until fragrant, stirring, about one more minute.
Turn the heat up a little to medium high and deglaze the pan with with the hard cider (or regular cider and wine) and allow the liquid to bubble up. Add the bacon, pears, bay leaf and enough broth to cover the chicken about halfway. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover tightly and cook in the oven until the meat is tender, about 30 more minutes.
Serve straight from the pan, or if desired, remove the chicken and pears to a serving platter, and then simmer the liquid stovetop for five minutes to reduce into a richer sauce to spoon on top.
Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook Supermarket Healthy.
