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Cider & Thyme Slow-Cooked Chicken

A proper Scottish comfort dish. The Pure Apple cider does all the heavy lifting — braising the chicken low and slow into something rich, fragrant and deeply satisfying.

Pour a glass of the same cider to drink alongside it, served chilled.

1 hour 45 minutes
 
Cider & Thyme Slow-Cooked Chicken
What You'll Need

Ingredients

  • 330 millilitres Lost Orchards Scottish Pure Apple Cider
  • 8 pieces chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
  • 200 millilitres chicken stock
  • 4 pieces garlic cloves, crushed
  • 6 pieces fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard
  • 150 millilitres crème fraîche
  • 1 pieces onion, finely sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pinch salt and black pepper

Steps

This is just a guide; take liberties depending on your taste and ensure all meat is thoroughly cooked before consuming.

1. Brown the chicken

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed casserole over a high heat. Season the chicken thighs generously with 1 pinch salt and black pepper, then sear skin-side down for 4–5 minutes until deeply golden. Flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove and set aside.

2. Build the base

Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 onion, finely sliced to the same pan and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add 4 garlic cloves, crushed and cook for 1 minute more.

3. Deglaze with cider

Pour in 330 millilitres Lost Orchards Scottish Pure Apple Cider and let it bubble for 2 minutes, scraping up any caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan. Add 200 millilitres chicken stock, 2 tablespoons wholegrain mustard, and 6 fresh thyme sprigs. Stir to combine.

4. Slow cook

Return the chicken to the pan, skin-side up. Cover with a lid and cook on your lowest heat for 60 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes to crisp the skin back up.

5. Finish the sauce

Remove the chicken and stir 150 millilitres crème fraîche through the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve the chicken over mashed potato with the sauce spooned generously over the top.

Our Lost tip

Don't let the sauce boil hard once the crème fraîche is in, or it can split. If it looks thin, lift the chicken out and reduce it for a few more minutes before adding the dairy. The bone and skin do real work here — they give the sauce its body, so boneless thighs won't produce the same result. Pour a glass of the same cider to drink alongside it.