Chicken With Apples And Cider

Ingredients

3 teaspoons olive oil

3 teaspoons butter

2 shallots finely chopped

2 crisp, red-skinned dessert apples, about 185 g each

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets, about 185 g each

? cup (150 ml) dry cider

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons crème fraîche

Sea salt

Black pepper

Method

Heat a large, nonstick frying pan or wok on the side burner over low heat. Add the oil and butter and heat.

Add Shallots to the oil and butter in the pan. Increase the heat to medium and cook over direct heat for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.

While the shallots are cooking, quarter, core and slice the apples, then add to the shallots and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Raise the heat to medium - high and cook, stirring, until the mixture starts to turn a golden caramel colour.

Lift the shallots and apple slices from the pan or wok with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pan, if necessary. Add the chicken breasts and cook over medium - high heat for about 6 minutes, turning once, until golden brown.

Pour the cider over the chicken and stir. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for about 8 - 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and turn the chicken once, until cooked. The chicken is ready if the juices run clear when it is pierced with the tip of a knife.

Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and crème fraîche. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return the shallots and apple slices to the pan or wok, reduce heat to low and warm through for another 1 - 2 minutes; do not allow the sauce to boil.

Cooking Tip

Serve these succulent chicken breasts with steamed rice or boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables. The sauce can be made with a dry white wine or richly flavoured chicken stock instead of cider, if you prefer.

Always use red-skinned dessert apples as the green-skinned cooking apples lose their shape. This dish can also be made very successfully with tender veal escalopes instead of chicken.