Cider baked chicken

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Well now, I had a big head of celery lurking about, needing some friends to play with.

So. I decided that this bottle of cider and a pack of chicken thighs ought to get together with said head for a bake-off.

Seemed like a match made in heaven, and it turned it to be just so!

Here's how it went....

Gather together some chicken pieces of your choice.

A bottle of cider

A few bacon rashers

A head of celery

A couple of onions

Couple of garlic cloves (I used a handful of wild garlic)

A tablespoon of cornflour

Ground black pepper

A little jug of chicken stock.

A handful of fresh herbs

A few bay leaves.

Apologies for the lack of specific measurements - I always cook for a crowd and just guess how much of whatever it is I think should be added. So just go with your instinct for the number of mouths you'd like to feed with this dish!

Begin by pan-frying the chicken to brown it.

Lay it in a baking dish.

Then chop up the onions, celery, garlic and bacon into little bits.

Throw them into the pan you were just using and gently fry for about 5 or 6 minutes.

Scatter in the cornflour and mix and stir through with a spatula"

Then pour on the cider. OH MY GOIDNESS! The smell of the sizzling cider is just crazy?...

Stir it up with the spatula and add chicken stock till it forms a creamy sort of sauce.

Season well and add the chopped herbs.

Pour over the ready and waiting chicken and dot some bay-leaves about.

Bake for about 35 minutes.

Serve with some creamy mash, or rice, a big green salad on the side with a tall glass of lovely cold cider to hand. 

Should be a winner.

Who knew celery could taste so good?!