I often try to categorize my cooking style. At first I think about my love for Middle Eastern food and decide that must be my style, but then I remember my love for seafood, which doesn’t exactly fit. So I shift to calling my style Mediterranean, but then I think about how much I enjoy cooking venison and beef, and they don’t belong in that category. I could say my style reflects my Italian and Chinese heritage, but then I look at my pastry work and realize that doesn’t fit neatly into those boxes.
After going in circles like this, I’ve learned to keep it simple: I like to cook simply. I use as few ingredients as possible to nail the flavor. This style is practical and flavorful, and lets the ingredients speak for themselves. However, if I’m making Persian food (my favorite), I’m not shy about loading up the cumin and saffron. The recipe I’m sharing this month, apple cider-braised chicken legs, is exactly my style: straightforward cooking that showcases the ingredients.
This is the kind of recipe that has a depth of flavor but requires little work. All you need is a bottle of local apple cider, some basic pantry items and bone-in chicken legs. It’s ideal for a weeknight dinner because everything cooks in one pot and it’s typically hands-off.
First, brown the chicken until the skin is crispy and deep. Browning lays the groundwork for flavor, not just aesthetics. Adding the apple slices along with the cider creates a deep sauce that is both sweet and savory. If the apples you have at home are beginning to soften, use them in this recipe. They will disintegrate into the sauce, adding body and a subtle apple taste.
I prefer to use cider from a local farm stand or orchard whenever possible. Compared to most store-bought ciders, fresh-pressed cider tastes cleaner and brighter.
Using whatever you have on hand, I suggest serving the chicken over buttered egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes. You won’t want to waste any of the sauce, so put some bread on the table to mop it up.
This recipe isn’t complicated. It is dependable, tasty and made with locally sourced ingredients. Making something easy, useful and worthy of sharing is, in my opinion, the essence of good cooking.
Apple cider-braised chicken
Makes: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 whole chicken legs
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 apples, sliced
- 1 cup apple cider
- 3 rosemary sprigs
Chicken spice mix:
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the ingredients for the spice mix in a small bowl and set aside.
Add olive oil to a Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Pat dry the chicken legs and rub the spice mix all over. Place the fat side down in the Dutch oven and cook for 5-7 minutes or until evenly browned. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. (They don’t need to be completely cooked at this stage.) Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside on a plate.
Add the shallots to the chicken fat and cook until softened. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and stir to combine. Stir in the apple slices to fully coat them in the brown sugar. Pour in the apple cider and bring to a simmer.
Add the chicken back into the pot, along with the rosemary sprigs. Cover with a lid and bake for 35 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
