Chicken is justifiably one of the best loved meats in the world.
It is very lean, is a great source of protein, extremely versatile and is the key ingredient in a lot of diet recipes. If you are able to buy an organic free range chicken, even better, as it will be a purer meat, with less chance of it containing added hormones. It Is also a good idea from the animal welfare point of view, as some of the mass produced chickens are kept in conditions that are pretty shocking.

If you are not worried about weight loss, there is no need to worry, chicken is not just used in low fat recipes. All the same, the majority of recipes that include chicken will be, generally, more heart-healthy than equivalent recipes prepared using different meats.

Here’s a wonderful recipe that will definitely please both family and friends.

The recipe needs:

One chicken (approx. 3.5 lb)
2 cup of traditional cider
6 ea. Apples (pared and cut into quarters)
salt (as needed)
pepper (as needed)
1 teaspoonful cornstarch
Half cupful whipping cream (light)
One tablespoonful of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 C. of butter
Two tablespoons of oil (olive)
A quarter tsp. cinnamon (optional)
4 green onions, (finely chopped)
2 cloves
1/4 teaspoonful ground ginger
1 sprig of parsley, (chopped well, for the garnish)
Half teaspoonful thyme
Two teaspoons of cane sugar

Instructions:

Clean the Chicken and dry it well.
Mix a little salt and pepper amd smooth it into the organic chicken (both inside and out)
Pour the lemon juice over the pieces of apple.

Melt half the butter in a large frying pan then add the olive oil.
Put half of the apple pieces into the pan and fry softly for five mins. until browned slightly
Mix in the ginger and give it a few stirs, frying a short while longer to allow the ginger to give up it’s flavour.
Stuff the bird with the mixture from the frying pan and close-up the chicken by tying or by ‘pinning’ it with a metal or wooden skewer.

Add the rest of the butter to the pan and heat until it melts and then place the chicken in the pan and fry until the skin is browned a little, browning it all over.
Transfer the chicken to a large casserole pot with lid.
Take the rest of the apple, the scallion onions, ground cinnamon, thyme, sugar and cloves and transfer them to the pan.

Heat for two to three mins then add the cider and bring to the boil.

Once the apple cyder is at boiling point, add it to the casserole and replace the lid, using foil or wax paper to ensuer a good tight seal.

Put the pot in the oven and cook for about three quarters of an hour at 200C/400F

When the chicken is ready, transfer it to a warmed plate to keep warm whilst the gracy/sauce is prepared.

Skim the fat from the contents of the casserole pot and then increase the heat, boiling the liquid away until there is approx one cupful remaining.

Pour in the whipping cream and cornstarch, stirring until it is thick and creamy.
Season with salt and pepper, and then pour over the chicken

Toss some of the parsley over the top, and serve.

To make the meal into a healthy and well balanced meal, you could add side servings of steamed broccoli or butter beans and sauteed potatoes.

If you like this recipe, you can easily discover a wide variety of chicken recipes by checking out one of the free recipe collections online, or at your local library.