Chicken and Cider Casserole

Name: Chicken and Cider Casserole
Ingredients: 16 chicken pieces; 45 ml (3 tablespoons) cake flour; salt and pepper to taste; 16 baby onions; 200 bacon, derinded and roughly chopped; 75 g butter; 45 ml (3 tablespoons) olive oil; 300 ml (1 1/5 cups) dry cider; 300 ml (1 1/ 5cups) chicken stock; 2 bay leaves; 4 eating apples, quartered and cored; 15 ml (1 tablespoon) Dijon mustard; 150 ml (3/5 cups) sour cream; chopped parsley to garnish

This is a deliciously rich and creamy casserole flavoured with cider, bay leaves and mustard. Choose crisp apples like Golden Delicious and serve with rice and a simple salad.

Published 5 August 2024

Method

Preheat oven to 180 ºC (350 ºF).
Dredge the chicken pieces in seasoned flour.
Heat half the butter in a frying pan. Add the bacon and baby onions and sauté until golden brown. Remove from the frying pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the oil to the frying pan and brown the chicken pieces in batches on all sides.
Place the chicken pieces in a casserole dish. Add the cider, chicken stock and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan. Add the apples and cook until golden brown.
Add the bacon and onions to the chicken. Remove the cover and bake for 15 minutes.
Skim off excess fat. Stir in the mustard and sour cream. Serve the casserole with the apples and sprinkle generously with chopped parsley.