Best Chicken Thighs With Wilted Cabbage And Apples Recipes

BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS AND APPLES

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.

SHEET-PAN ROAST CHICKEN AND MUSTARD-GLAZED CABBAGE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil with the mustard, garlic, vinegar and cumin seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Prepare the cabbage: Halve the cabbage lengthwise through the core, then cut each half into 1-inch-thick wedges. (Make sure to continue cutting lengthwise through the core to keep the pieces intact.) You should have about 16 pieces.
• Add the cabbage wedges to a large (13-by-18-inch) baking sheet. Brush all the wedges with half the vinaigrette, then carefully turn and brush the other side with remaining vinaigrette. Arrange in an even layer, then season generously with salt and pepper. On a separate baking sheet, brush the red onion rounds with olive oil on both sides; season generously with salt and pepper. Add the onion rounds to the cabbage wedges, interspersing the red onion and cabbage and tucking some onion rounds partly underneath. Sprinkle the capers evenly on top.
• Prepare the chicken: In a small bowl, toss the coriander and cumin with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Place the chicken on the sheet pan where you oiled the onions and drizzle with olive oil all over, then rub the seasoning all over the chicken. Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the cabbage and onions, skin-side up.
• Transfer to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through and the cabbage is lightly browned in spots and tender, about 35 to 40 minutes. Top with parsley or dill and serve immediately, passing more mustard on the side.

CIDER-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH APPLES AND GREENS

Steps:

• Pat the chicken thighs dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
• In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over medium. Cook the chicken thighs skin-side down, undisturbed, until the skin is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook until lightly browned on the other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
• Pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from the pot, turn the heat to medium-low, then add the shallots and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
• Add the cider, cider vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the cider has reduced slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot, skin-side up. Pour just enough broth around (not on!) the chicken to cover the sides of the thighs but not cover the skin on top.
• Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Partly cover and gently simmer until the thighs are cooked through and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate or sheet pan (if you'd like to broil the chicken in the next step), raise the heat to medium, and add the kale and apple to the pot. Cook, tossing often, until all the kale is wilted, the apples are just softened and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. While the greens cook, if you'd like to crisp the skin on the chicken, pop it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Taste for seasoning, and stir in 1 or 2 more teaspoons cider vinegar to taste. Divide the chicken and kale mixture among shallow bowls; serve with crusty bread to mop up broth.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED CABBAGE

Steps:

• In a small dish, stir together 1 1/2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 tablespoon Morton's coarse kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds and the brown sugar.
• Place the chicken on a large plate or sheet pan and, with a paper towel, pat the surface of the chicken as dry as you can. Remove any giblets from the cavity and reserve for another time. Sprinkle a third of the spice mixture into the cavity of the chicken, focusing especially on the underside of the breasts. Use your hands to really rub the spices into the cavity. Now, sprinkle the rest of the spice mixture all over the surface of the chicken, including the bottom but especially the top, where the breasts are, and again, really rub it into the skin. If roasting right away, let the chicken sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Alternatively, you can place the chicken, uncovered, in the refrigerator to dry-brine for up to 24 hours; just be sure to let it sit out at room temperature for at least 1 hour before roasting.
• While the chicken is coming to room temperature, position a rack on the bottom third of the oven and heat the oven to 425 degrees. On a large sheet pan, add the cabbage, onion, 4 tablespoons olive oil and the remaining 1 teaspoon fennel seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper, and toss until evenly combined. Push the cabbage and onions to the edges of the pan to make room for the chicken, and place the chicken in the center of the pan, breast side up; the chicken should have direct contact with the pan and not be sitting over any of the vegetables. Massage the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil onto the chicken and give it a final generous sprinkling of salt and pepper (going lighter on the seasoning the longer the chicken has been dry-brined).
• Roast the chicken, rotating the pan halfway through, until the skin is golden brown and crispy, and the thigh meat reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (it will continue to cook as it rests), 40 to 55 minutes or 13 minutes per pound. Do not cut into it to check that the juices run clear. The cabbage and onions should be soft and slightly charred in spots.
• Let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes on the pan before transferring to a cutting board and carving into portions. Don't forget to turn the carcass over and eat the two "oysters" on the bottom of the chicken where the back of the thighs meet the spine. It's arguably the best part of the roast chicken experience, and the chef's treat.
• Add the vinegar to the cabbage and onions, toss until evenly distributed and taste for seasoning, adjusting with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the chicken.

BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH APPLES AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a deep oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs to the hot oil and cook until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.
• Add sliced onions to the skillet and saute until they just start to brown, about 3 minutes. Pour in apple cider and chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Stir in thyme and salt. Simmer until the onions are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Add chicken back to the skillet and spoon some sauce over the top. Arrange sliced apples around the chicken. Cover the skillet with a lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove skillet from the oven and carefully uncover. Transfer chicken from the skillet to a plate and keep warm. Whisk heavy cream and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Stir gently into the sauce in the skillet. Place chicken back into the skillet and spoon some of the sauce over the chicken.
• Return skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, and an instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 15 minutes more. Serve chicken and apples with the sauce.