Apple Cider Chicken With Apples and Parsnips

Name: Apple Cider Chicken With Apples and Parsnips
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each); Salt; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 parsnips (or carrots), peeled, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced into half moons; 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced into wedges; 1 shallot, thinly sliced; 1 3/4 cups apple cider; 2 sprigs tarragon

By Carolina Gelen

Published Sept. 27, 2024

Apple Cider Chicken With Apples and Parsnips — Armando Rafael for The New York Times

Total Time: 45 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(548)
Comments: Read comments

In this skillet dinner, seared chicken cutlets are topped with stewed, melt-in-your-mouth, tart Granny Smith apples; earthy, nutty parsnips; and sweet apple cider. The apple cider is used to deglaze the pan, extracting maximum flavor from the seared chicken bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Serve with mashed potatoes, olive oil-fried bread or a simple green side salad. To bring more warmth to the dish, don’t hesitate to infuse spices into the simmering apple cider sauce, like cinnamon, black pepper, a dash of cardamom or nutmeg. Depending on the sweetness of the apple cider, you might prefer a little more acidity to brighten each bite, in which case a small splash of apple cider vinegar at the end would be welcome.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

2chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
Salt
¼cup all-purpose flour
¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
2parsnips (or carrots), peeled, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced into half moons
2Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced into wedges
1shallot, thinly sliced
1¾cups apple cider
2sprigs tarragon

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Pat the chicken dry using paper towels. Slice each chicken breast in half, positioning your knife parallel to the cutting board so you end up with 4 thin cutlets. Generously season the chicken cutlets with salt on all sides. Add the flour to a plate and coat each chicken cutlet in flour on both sides.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over high. Arrange the chicken cutlets in the pan and sear for 4 to 6 minutes, until a golden-brown crust forms on the bottom. Partially cover to contain some of the splattering. Flip and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed. Transfer the seared chicken cutlets to a plate.
Step 3
Add the parsnips, apples, shallot and ¼ cup of apple cider and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the apples and shallots are softened and slightly darker in color, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tarragon, remaining 1½ cups apple cider and a hefty pinch of salt.
Step 4
Bring to a simmer. Partially cover with a lid and vigorously simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes, until the apple cider has slightly thickened and reduced in volume and the apples and parsnips have softened. Add the seared chicken to the skillet and continue simmering for 2 minutes.
Step 5
Turn the broiler on high. Place the skillet under the broiler and broil for 2 minutes, until the chicken, apples and parsnips develop darker spots throughout.
Step 6
Serve the cutlets with the apples and parsnips spooned on top.

Ratings

4 out of 5

548 user ratings

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Comments

Alex8 months ago

Listen sometimes in life you skim a recipe in the afternoon and think it says “Apple cider vinegar” and then when you go to make it at night you don’t have “apple cider” but you figure you can salvage it with a mixture of ACV broth and honey and sometimes you’re not quite right

Ken S8 months ago

I made this following the instructions exactly, as I do all recipes for the first time. First of all, the idea that parsnips and apple slices have the same cooking time is wrong. Using the times given, I ended up with nice al dente parsnips and essentially applesauce. Adding the apples later and using a variety of apple that stands up to heat and keeps it shape would possibly help. Also the chicken attained no real flavor profile from the cider based sauce, added back at the end.

Paul Z8 months ago

Eh. Doesn't really work with chicken. If I do it again I'll try it with pork cutlets - pork, apples, and parsnips is a classic combination.

Serra4 weeks ago

Apple cider vinegar was too much and apples were completely soaked in it and it felt very acidic. Other than that it was good

Madeline2 months ago

I played fast and loose with this recipe, and it was a hit. The combination of predominantly sweet and juicy ingredients, with just a hint of tartness, was great with chicken. I had no apple cider. I used about a cup of white wine instead, added a little at a time. I didn’t have shallots. A sweet onion was perfect. I used leftover meat from a store-roasted chicken, sliced and added for the last 5 minutes on low heat. I didn’t use any flour. I sautéed in ghee, with a lid on to “sweat” and retain juices. First the onion slices until soft and a little browned, then the parsnips (10 more minutes), and then for only about 5 more minutes, the apple slices (which still got a bit mushy). Lastly, the skinned and sliced chicken, plus any juices from the bottom of the container the chicken came in, on very low until warmed through but not dry. And, I didn’t run it under a broiler. Just fine without.

vger212 months ago

I really liked this combination of meat and fruit, and I plan to make it more often now that I've tried out the recipe.

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