Tastes of the Season: Cider and Chicken

For years, cider has been a popular ingredient in many cuisines, particularly among the Celts, Bretons, and Normans. Modern Irish cooks love to use it, too, often as a substitute for wine due to the unique flavor it imparts to sauces, meat, and poultry. In this recipe, chicken is cooked coq-au-vin-style in Magners Irish Cider, a dry cider with a lively, crisp taste (you can substitute another brand for this hearty one-dish meal).

Cider-Braised Chicken and Cabbage

Serves 6

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 6 bone-in chicken breast halves with skin
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 3 large carrots, cut into thick slices
• 1 large onion, cut into thick slices
• 1 small green cabbage, shredded
• 2 oz. golden raisins
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tbsp. crumbled fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup cider

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.

2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and dredge the chicken in it. Shake off excess. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Transfer the chicken to an ovenproof baking dish.

3. Tuck the garlic, carrots, and onions in-between the chicken pieces. Arrange the cabbage, raisins, parsley, rosemary, and bay leaf on top of the chicken and pour the stock and cider over. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for about 2 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of one of the pieces of chicken registers 165° F.

4. To serve, place a chicken breast in the center of a serving plate, and spoon the vegetables and sauce over the top.