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Laura Brehaut. Our cookbook of the week is Cannelle et Vanille by Seattle-based writer, photographer and food stylist Aran Goyoaga. Tomorrow, we’ll feature an interview with the author.

To try another recipe from the book, check out: Baked eggs in piperrada, and black olive, caraway and honey yeast bread.

Basque-style cider — funky, sour and unfiltered — is a different beast. “It’s almost like kombucha,” says Aran Goyoaga. “I equate it more with that than the apple cider I find (in the U.S.), which is alcoholic juice.”

Cider is a historic and beloved beverage in the Basque Country, in northern Spain. A product of wild fermentation — no yeast is added — it’s full of character. And in this family-style chicken dish, it brings its unique qualities to a braise rather than the glass.

“In the Basque Country, people braise with wine, but cider is definitely a big braising liquid. You’ll have chorizo sausages that are braised in cider, and chicken and pork. It’s a big thing,” says Goyoaga. “We have a lot of cider houses and a lot of apple trees so I definitely wanted to include something that had that profile, and that was comforting.”

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH APPLES AND CIDER

6 skin-on chicken legs or thighs (about 2 lb/1 kg) (see note)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium leek (white and light-green parts only), thinly sliced
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 sprigs thyme
1 cup (225 g) Basque-style cider (see note)
1 large sprig tarragon
4 whole small apples, or 2 large ones, quartered and cored
2 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley

STEP 1

Pat dry the chicken with paper towels, then season it on all sides with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate.

STEP 2

Reduce the heat to medium and add the leek, shallot, garlic and thyme to the pan. Stir and scrape up any brown bits and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cider and tarragon, stir and return the chicken to the pan. Nestle the apples all around, cover and cook over medium heat for 25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C). Uncover, increase the heat to high and reduce the liquid until the apples begin to caramelize, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Makes: 6 servings

Notes: If you prefer, use split bone-in chicken breast and cut in half. Cook as directed.

If you cannot find Basque-style cider, you can use half hard cider, half apple cider vinegar.

Excerpted from Cannelle et Vanille by permission of Sasquatch Books. Copyright 2019 by Aran Goyoaga. All rights reserved.