Cider Chicken Casserole

By jill3739

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 5 oz (1/2 cup) cubed pancetta or lardons, or 10 slices bacon, chopped
• 12 chicken thighs (bone-in, with or w/o skin)
• 1 leek, quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced
• 1 celery stalk, quartered lengthwise, then thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 2 teaspoons freeze-dried tarragon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• White grinding pepper
• 2 cups dry hard cider
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small romaine lettuce heart, cut into strips or roughly shredded
• 2 tablespoons chooped fresh tarragon

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the oil in a large, wide Dutch oven that comes with a lid and add the cubed pancetta, cooking them until they begin to give off their juices and start to color. Add the chicken thighs (skin-side down if yours have skin), tossing the pancetta on top of the meat as you put the poultry in the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.

Turn the thighs over and tip in the prepared leek, celery, and garlic. Season with the dried tarragon, salt and pepper, then stir everything around a bit, letting it cook for another 5 minutes.

Pour in the cider, then sprinkle in frozen peas. Bring to a boil, then cover, turn down to a very gentle heat and cook for 40 minutes. Do check after 30 mintues to see if chicken is cooked through and if boneless - 20 mintues should do.

Remove the lid, stir in the mustard and then toss the shredded lettuce over the chicken, letting it wilt in the hot sauce for a couple of minutes.

Scatter the chopped tarragon over the dish and take the steamily fragrant pan to the table with quiet pride.

Make ahead note: The chicken, without lettuce, can be cooked 1 day ahead. Transfer to non-metallic bowl, then cool, cover and refrigerate as quickly as possible. To reheat, return to Dutch over, cover and reheat gently for around 20 minutes, until chicken is piping hot all the way through. Add a little water or chicken broth if pan becomes too dry. Add the lettuce and continue as directed in recipe.