La Vuelta España - Stage 16: Luanco to Lagos de Covadonga.
Today starts the final week of La Vuelta. It’s also the unofficial start to fall now that we just celebrated Labor Day weekend. Right on cue, it is a nice cool 55 degree morning: the perfect kind of weather for this Asturian classic of chicken braised in cider. Asturias is widely known for their signature dish of pork and beans, Fabada, which I made a few years ago. However, the Asturias region is home to a myriad of apple orchards and is the epicenter of cidre…a/k/a hard cider! This meal celebrates fall in all of its glory. A braised pot of perfectly golden chicken, potatoes, ham, and peas, braised in hard cider. This is sure to make all the bellies happy in your household.
Braised Chicken in Hard Cider
6 chicken thighs
Onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ lb serrano ham, sliced into ¼” thick pieces (or bacon)
2.25 cups of hard cider
Juice from a lemon
1 lb small waxy potatoes (yukon gold or red)
1 lb bag of frozen peas
Season the chicken with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a dutch oven, set over medium-high heat, and brown the chicken, skin-side down, 4-6 minutes (rotating the pot half way through to ensure even browning). Flip the chicken and cook 4 minutes longer on the bottom side, lowering the heat to medium. Remove the chicken and set aside in a dish.
Meanwhile, halve or quarter the potatoes (depending on size) and place them in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Drain and reserve.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the rendered fat in the dutch oven and saute the onions, with a pinch of salt, until softened, 4-6 minutes.
Add in the serrano ham and render over medium-high heat about 4 minutes until starting to brown on the edges (this may take a little longer if using bacon).
Add in the garlic and stir thoroughly to incorporate. Cook for about a minute until fragrant.
Add in the cider and lemon juice and scrape the fond from the bottom of the pot.
Place the chicken (and any accumulated juices) back in the pot, skin-side up, cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes - or until the chicken reaches 160 degrees.
Increase the heat to medium-high, stir in the reserved potatoes and the frozen peas, seasoning with a little salt and pepper. Cover and cook an additional 5 minutes or so until the peas have just softened
Ladle a little of the pot juices and vegetables into a shallow bowl. Place a chicken thigh in the middle of the dish and ladle in some more veggies and juices and serve.
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Copyright 2024, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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