Cider-glazed Chicken

I'm always looking for good chicken recipes for Friday nights.

In September I started following the Food Floozie blog, and there are tons of gems. The most memorable so far are an insane kugel with cherries and chocolate (that I have yet to attempt) and a chicken dish cooked in cider.

In late September, at the grocery store to buy ingredients for a Thai basil chicken recipe, I was confronted by a freebie booth giving away samples of pumpkin pie and cider. The samples were okay, and then I started thinking about the cider. Then I started to think about how Meredith probably won't like all of that garlic in the Thai basil chicken, and maybe I should wait until after the baby is born and Meredith likes garlic again. Then I started to think about the cider chicken recipe.

Then I walked away with half a gallon of cider.

I didn't have herbs de Provence or bone-and-skin-on chicken on hand, but I improvised a bit and the result was excellent. I imagine following her recipe to the letter would have tasted even better, but I'll save that for another time.

Cider-glazed Chicken

• 3+1 tbsp oil
• 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless, cut in half)
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp rosemary
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 cup apple cider (use apple juice for gluten-free)

1. Heat 3 tbsp oil on medium in a deep pan.
2. Toss chicken in 1 tbsp oil and brown on both sides for 15 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.
3. Set the chicken aside in a separate bowl and saute onion in remaining oil for 1 minute. Add mustard, vinegar, fennel, rosemary and thyme and stir.
4. Add cider, stir and add back chicken.
5. Cover and let mixture boil on high for 30 seconds before reducing to low.
6. Let simmer for 45 minutes.
7. Set the chicken aside again and boil down the sauce until thickened.
8. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

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