Somerset chicken from the Hairy Bikers is fruity and creamy with apples, mushrooms and a lovely mustard and cider stock.
Somerset in England’s southwest is the home of traditional English cider and the orchards which grow the apples it is made from.
My preference for nearly all recipes which use apple with meat like pork or chicken is the Pink Lady variety. Combine the apples with some mini portobello mushrooms for a taste of the west country.
Try the the stuffing crust pork chops with apples if you like the Somerset chicken.
Somerset Chicken
Creamy chicken with apples and cider
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken breasts skin on
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 75 g butter plus extra to serve
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions peeled, sliced
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 dessert apple peeled, cores removed, sliced into batons
- 110 g button mushrooms sliced
- 250 ml chicken stock
- 300 ml cider
- 1 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
- 250 ml double cream
- 300 g cheddar cheese grated
To Serve:
- 6 baked potato
- butter
Conversions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/400F/Gas 6.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat a large frying pan until smoking, then add half of the butter and oil. Fry the chicken breasts in batches, skin-side down first, for 1-2 minutes on both sides, or until golden-brown all over.
- Transfer the chicken breast to a deep-sided roasting tray and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (NB: the chicken is cooked through when the juices run clear when the thickest part is pierced with a skewer.) Keep warm.
- Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining butter and oil. Add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until softened but not coloured. Stir in the flour and the mustard and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Add the apples and mushrooms and cook for a further minute, then pour over the chicken stock.
- Bring to the boil, then add the cider and return to the boil. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then lower the heat, add the sage and stir in the cream. Simmer for a further 5-6 minutes, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken so that it is completely covered.
- Preheat the grill to high.
- Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the chicken and place under the grill for 4-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, golden-brown and bubbling.
- To serve, place a baked potato topped with a knob of butter on each serving plate. Spoon the chicken alongside and serve.
You may also like one of my other favourite recipes …
1
Spanish Chicken Bake
This Spanish-style chicken bake is a one-pot wonder that’s made with juicy chorizo, chicken and veg. Perfect for a midweek supper or a weekend alternative to a weekend roast.
Check out this recipe
2
Grandads Cookbook may reference or include sections of text and images reproduced courtesy of:
- bbc.co.uk
- The Hairy Bikers