Chicken, Bacon, Apple & Cider
Serves 4
This chicken, bacon, apple and cider recipe always makes me think of England, my beautiful home country. Something about it brings back memories of long summer months in the British Isles that are both genteel and wild. I’m lucky that I get to visit once a year and catch up with family and friends. I always find that there is nothing quite like the English countryside with its patchwork of hills, dramatic dales, ancient woodlands, and winding country roads. There are so many things to do. Admire the grand interior of a stately home before catching a play in the surrounding gardens. Travel back in time with visits to ancient stone circles and crumbling castles. Step into a chocolate box of quaint villages and market towns and live like a local. Try farmhouse cheeses, cream teas and real ales along the way.
One of my all-time favorite’s places to visit while I’m home is Warkworth. Warkworth is a beautiful, quaint, old Northumbrian village that is almost completely surrounded by a loop in the River Coquet about a mile from the coast of Amble. At one end of the village atop the hill is the stunning ruin of Warkworth Castle, and at the other, sits the parish village church of St Lawrence. I’ve been coming here most of my life, as my Auntie Irene and Uncle Ernie had a caravan we would holiday in every summer when we were children. We would play for hours, swimming in the river or playing hide and seek in the ruins of the castle. Fabulous childhood memories.
The village itself has, thankfully, been left almost untouched by modern life and tourism. Any visitor can easily picture what life would have been like here in the past. My ideal peaceful walk is around this beautiful village, strolling between the castle and the church taking in the pubs, upmarket shops, galleries, gift shops, and tea rooms.
While on holiday, we would eat at the Mason Arms, a pub on the main street. This chicken, bacon, apple and cider dish was always on the summer and autumn menu. So tonight, enjoy at taste of England.
Ingredients:
4 chicken legs, cut into drumsticks and thighs (free-range organic, if possible)
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
4 rashers bacon, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled and diced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and roughly chopped
1 11oz bottle dry cider (such as Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider or Crispin Natural Cider)
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
2 cups fingerling potatoes, cut in half
1 cup of carrots, peeled and cut into half inch rounds
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
How to make:
Lightly coat the chicken pieces with flour. Place a skillet or heavy frying pan on the stove over a medium heat. Add the oil. When the oil is hot add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pieces from the pan and place on plate lined with paper towels.
Discard the oil and wipe the pan with a paper towel. Heat the remaining oil and fry the bacon for 2 minutes. Then add the celery, onion, garlic, and apple, and fry for 3 minutes, or until they start to soften.
Pour in the cider and stock. Bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan together with the potatoes, carrots, and thyme. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer with the lid on the pan. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes. Make sure the chicken and potatoes are cooked all the way through. Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve.