Coming back from my little trip

Published by admin on Tue, 10/02/2018 - 11:58am
By: 
Keith Bryant
Last week I headed down to California to see my brother again. He lives on the central coast region, and his wife is an amazing cook and food writer.  When I called a couple of weeks ago, all he could say was we need to make meat.   
 Melanie is not the barbecue type, so Ken was looking forward to my visit to fire up the smoker and bring on the wood flavors that it provides.  
 To be honest with you, the local cuisine there is amazing. I found a hole-in-the wall butcher shop that had all grass-fed beef and natural pork products.  The local lamb was amazing, and we had chops one night.  
 I turned him on to my recipe for burnt ends, aka meat candy. He took all the leftovers, after bringing some to the butcher shop, and placed them in a jar with the sauce. He ate it the next day cold like it was candy.   
 His wife took a little to work at the college she works at and now the staff wants her to make it for their next luncheon.  
 Thinking about all the area had to offer, when I got back home I headed to the store for some fresh apple cider.  
 It is that time of year when the apples are fresh and the variety is great. I found a quick and easy one-pot recipe to make for dinner on Sunday. Sharon told me she did not cook while I was gone and went out to get food for dinner. 
 Give this a try when you are in the mood for a tasty and unique dinner. 
One-Pot Apple Cider Braised Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Bacon
Ingredients
5 pieces bacon
2 pounds chicken thighs
1/4 cup onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more to taste
1/2-pound brussels sprouts quartered
1 bundle fresh thyme
2 cups fresh apple cider
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Directions
 1. In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon until crispy over medium heat. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel. Pour out all but 2 teaspoons bacon fat.
 2. Heat the bacon fat over medium-high heat.
 3. Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
 4. Sear chicken until brown on both sides in the Dutch oven. This should take about 5 minutes per side.
 5. Take chicken out of the pan and set aside on a plate.
 6. Add the onion, garlic, a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and cinnamon. Stir well, making sure, to scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Cook until onions are translucent.
 7. Add in the brussels sprouts and stir until combined. Dijon mustard and thyme. Stir well.
 8. Pour in the apple cider and mix until everything is well combined. Make sure all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan have been scraped up. Cover and bring the sauce to a boil.
 Lower the heat and add back in the chicken. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
 9. Take the chicken, brussels sprouts, and thyme sprigs out of the pan. Set the thyme aside, and place the chicken and brussels sprouts on the desired serving dish.
 10. Add maple syrup to the sauce and bring to a high simmer over medium-high heat. Whisk frequently until the sauce has become thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, this should take around 5-8 minutes. Taste and adjust mustard, sea salt, and black pepper based on desired taste.
 11. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with bacon and thyme and serve warm
 
 

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