Chicken with Veggies in Cider Sauce

I found this recipe in the premiere issue of the new Food Network Magazine (a magazine made for people just like me, who watch FN obsessively as if it might go off the air tomorrow). I felt it needed a green vegetable to balance it out, so I added brussels sprouts. They are one of those vegetables that I have only recently come to appreciate, and I'd recommend that you try them in this dish and see if you might discover a new respect for them. I think the trick is to slice them before you cook them - somehow it makes a huge difference.

The result is a tasty, well-balanced meal with a hint of apple cider vinegar kick that brings the whole package together. And the pan gravy is, well, it's pan gravy! How can you go wrong? To me pan gravy just screams of home-made goodness. Somehow it makes me about 8 times more proud of a dish I make if it involves pan gravy. I can't really explain it. Try it and see.

Chicken with Veggies in Cider Sauce
Adapted from the Food Network Magazine
Serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
all-purpose flour sprinkled on a plate, for dredging
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 large onion, or 1 large shallot, cut into large pieces
1 sweet apple, cored and cut into large pieces
8-10 brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced into thirds lengthwise
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, shaking off excess. Add oil to the pan. Place chicken in the skillet smooth-side down and cook until golden, about 5 minutes per side (it won't be cooked through). Transfer to a baking dish and bake until cooked through, about 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, add onion, apple, and brussels sprouts to the skillet, along with a little vegetable oil if the pan is dry, and increase the heat to high. Cook, tossing, until the onion has wilted slightly, apple is golden brown, and brussels sprouts are slightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add the vinegar and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Let the mixture boil about 1 minute, then add chicken broth. Return to boil and cook until broth reduces by half. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter until completely melted. Toss the vegetables around in the sauce.

3. Remove chicken from oven, cut each breast in half or into thirds, depending on size. Divide the chicken among plates and spoon the vegetable mixture and gravy over each pieces of chicken (or next to it if you're serving someone who doesn't like things mixed together).

Enjoy!