Mustard chicken with cider and apples
Browned chicken thighs braised gently in dry cider, stock and wholegrain mustard, with late-added apple wedges. The sauce stays savoury and lightly reduced, while the apples soften without falling apart.
Advert
Let’s get cooking.
Cook mode
Scale servings, tick off ingredients, and run step timers without losing your place.
Servings
Originally developed for 4 servings.
Ingredient checklist
Method
- No timer needed
Heat the oven to 180°C conventional / 160°C fan. Check that the casserole fits the oven and will hold all the thighs in one layer without stacking. Finely slice the onion, peel and chop the garlic, and measure the sauce ingredients. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper; do not wash it. Season with 3 g salt and all the pepper. Wash your hands and clean any surfaces or utensils that touched raw chicken before preparing the apples later.
- 08:00
Heat the oil in the casserole over a medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in 2 batches, skin-side down for about 8 minutes per batch, then flesh-side down for 2 minutes. Let the skin release naturally before turning; lower the heat if the residue starts to burn. Transfer each batch to a plate. The chicken is not yet cooked through.
- No timer needed
Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully spoon off excess rendered fat, leaving approximately 15 ml in the casserole. Add the prepared onion and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the prepared garlic and the thyme and cook for 1 minute. Loosen browned residue as you stir, but do not scrape burnt patches into the sauce.
- 06:00
Pour in the cider, scrape the base and bring to the boil. Boil uncovered for about 6 minutes, until the cider has reduced by roughly half; the volume cue matters more than the clock. Stir in the stock and mustard and return to a simmer.
- 25:00
Return the chicken and its collected juices to the casserole, skin-side up in one layer. The liquid should surround the lower part of the thighs, not cover their skins. Transfer to the oven and cook uncovered for 25 minutes. While it cooks, core the apples and cut each into 8 substantial wedges, leaving the skins on. Use a clean board and knife.
- 20:00
Using oven gloves, remove the casserole and nestle the apple wedges into the sauce around the chicken. If the base is nearly dry, add 50–100 ml water around the thighs. Return to the oven, uncovered, and check after 20 minutes; this stage usually takes 15–25 minutes. The apples should yield to a knife but keep their shape. Allow about 3 minutes for checking: probe at least three of the largest thighs sequentially at the thickest part, clear of bone, allowing each reading to stabilise and confirming 75°C held for 30 seconds in each. Check any other thighs that appear less cooked too, allowing extra time. All the chicken must be cooked through and should feel tender. If needed, return it to the oven and repeat the checks; lift out tender apple wedges while the chicken finishes.
- No timer needed
Transfer the cooked chicken and apples to a clean serving platter and cover loosely with foil. With oven gloves, return the casserole to the hob; its handles stay hot. Remove the thyme stalks and skim off obvious excess fat. While the chicken rests, simmer a watery sauce uncovered for 3–8 minutes, until it lightly coats a spoon but remains pourable; skip this reduction if it is already right. Taste, adding up to 1 g reserved salt only if needed and up to 5 ml cider vinegar if it tastes too sweet or flat. Spoon the sauce around the chicken and divide the chicken and apples between four plates.
Chef tips
- Use a broad casserole that holds the thighs in one layer. Crowding during browning causes steaming; stacking during braising gives uneven cooking.
- For a greasy sauce, skim before reducing. Reduction concentrates salt as well as flavour.
- Remove apple wedges as soon as tender if the chicken needs longer. Keep them out of the final sauce reduction.
- If the sauce becomes too salty or thick, loosen it with a little water rather than more stock.
- The schedule allows a 20-minute second braise, 3 minutes for doneness checks and a 6-minute final reduction. Allow extra time for further temperature checks or cooking where needed; follow the temperature and texture cues rather than the clock.
Equipment check
- Heavy hob-safe, ovenproof shallow casserole, approximately 32 cm across and 4.5–5 litres, large enough for all 8 thighs in one layer
- Tongs and heatproof spoon
- Measuring jug
- Sharp knife and chopping board
- Kitchen paper
- Instant-read food thermometer
- Plate for partially cooked chicken
- Clean serving platter and foil
- Oven gloves
Tags
Behind the dish.
Overview
This is a savoury, gently fruity braise: tender chicken, browned skin and apple wedges that hold their shape. Brown the chicken in batches and reduce the cider before adding stock to build flavour without sweeteners. Uncovered oven cooking concentrates the sauce, although the chicken skin will not remain crisp.
Ingredient notes
Choose genuinely dry cider, not sweet cider or apple juice. A dry alcohol-free cider can be substituted, but check its sweetness; cooking alcoholic cider does not guarantee that all alcohol is removed. Firm, tart eating apples such as Braeburn hold together better than Bramleys. Use ready-made low-salt stock and taste after the final reduction before adding the reserved salt.
Contains mustard. Check stock for celery and other allergens, and cider for declared sulphites. Check stock and mustard labels if gluten avoidance is required.
Serving & storage
Divide the chicken, apples and sauce between four plates. Mashed potatoes and steamed cabbage are optional accompaniments, not included in the ingredients or cooking schedule.
Cool leftovers promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or colder. Use within 48 hours or freeze sooner. Thaw in the fridge and reheat only once, covered with a splash of water, until steaming hot throughout.
Related recipes
Victoria sponge cake with jam and cream
◷ 205 minmedium
Two tender butter sponges made by the creaming method, sandwiched with strawberry jam and softly whipped, unsweetened cream, then finished with caster sugar. Makes one 20 cm cake.
Oct 15
Cheddar and leek potato pie
◷ 91 mineasy
Sweet leeks in a creamy mustard sauce sit beneath tender sliced potatoes and a golden mature Cheddar crust. This pastry-free British pie takes about 90 minutes, including resting; allow longer if the leeks need more evaporation or the potatoes need further baking.
Oct 8
Cottage pie with golden mashed potato
◷ 121 minmedium
Browned beef mince, onions and carrots in a thick, savoury gravy beneath fluffy mash with golden ridges. Allow approximately 2 hours, including resting; extra gravy reduction, baking or an optional grill finish may extend this.
Oct 5