BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS AND APPLES

Braised Chicken Thighs and Apples image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 1h

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 11

8 bone-in chicken thighs (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 bunch leeks (white and green parts), halved lengthwise and sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 apples, such as Golden Delicious, chopped

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 425 degree F. Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, deep ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the skillet skin-side down and cook, flipping once, until golden on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the thyme and leeks to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook until the skillet is nearly dry. Stir in the broth, apple cider and a pinch each of salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Use a fork to mash the butter and flour together in a small bowl until smooth. Whisk the butter-flour mixture into the skillet until dissolved. Stir in the apples and remove from the heat. Nestle the chicken skin-side up in the skillet along with any collected juices from the plate. Bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.