BRAISED CHICKEN WITH APPLES AND CIDER

Serves: 6

■ 6 skin-on chicken legs or thighs (about 2 lb/1 kg) (see note)

■ 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) kosher salt

■ 1 tsp (5 ml) freshly ground black pepper

■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

■ 1 medium leek (white and light-green parts only), thinly sliced

■ 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

■ 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

■ 3 sprigs thyme

■ 1 cup (250 ml) Basque-style cider (see note)

■ 1 large sprig tarragon

■ 4 whole small apples, or 2 large ones, quartered and cored

■ 2 tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped Italian parsley

1. Pat dry the chicken with paper towels, then season it on all sides with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and put it on a plate.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the leek, shallot, garlic and thyme to the pan. Stir and scrape up any brown bits and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the cider and tarragon, stir and return the chicken to the pan. Nestle the apples all around, cover and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches

165 F (74 C).

4. Uncover, increase the heat to high and reduce the liquid until the apples begin to caramelize, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Note: If you prefer, use split bone-in chicken breast and cut in half. Cook as directed. If you cannot find Basque-style cider, you can use half hard cider, half apple cider vinegar.