Fall is in full swing outside. The trees are gold, the bushes are red, and the garden is starting to look sparsely populated. On a chilly evening, what’s better than to step from the brisk air outside into a warm, cozy kitchen filled with the appetizing aromas of apples, celery, and cabbage? Here’s a chicken dinner recipe that combines all of these flavors in one simple meal.
The flavors of fall combine in an easy meal that’s tasty enough to keep your family coming back for seconds. It’s a one-pot meal, so clean-up won’t take all evening. It’s an inexpensive supper in its own right, and the cost can drop even more if you have a garden or raise chickens.
A Fortuitous Mischance
This recipe is a classic example of my cooking style. I already had a plan for dinner, but then realized I had a cabbage to deal with. So I found another chicken dinner recipe that looked appetizing, and started reading the list of ingredients. Nope, don’t have that. Not that one either. I could maybe substitute something else…
In the end, my meal turned out so different from the original recipe that the resemblance is hard to see. I still want to make that original recipe, whenever I have the right ingredients on hand!
That being said, there is a lot of room for experimenting and adapting this recipe. I used what I had and it turned out very well, but these particular ingredients aren’t the only ones that will work together. Use what you have and let me know if you come up with any great combinations!
Ingredients
I used chicken thighs with the skin on. This helped keep moisture in the meat, and it wasn’t dry at all. If you have a bigger package of thighs or a whole chicken, the recipe doubles just fine. You will want to brown the meat in batches, though.
The type of fat you decide to use should complement the other flavors in the dish. I chose bacon fat for this reason, but butter would be fine as well. I wouldn’t recommend olive oil in this dish.
Vegetables
The celery I had was from my mother’s garden. It didn’t get very big this year, so the stalks were narrow and the flavor was strong. I chopped it pretty finely because of this. If I was using celery from the store instead, I might leave it in bigger chunks for texture and flavor.
I used a normal green cabbage, because I find the flavor more to my taste than red cabbage. However, if you prefer red cabbage, or happen to have a different variety on hand, by all means try it!
The apple(s) used should ideally be tart cooking apples, but feel free to use whatever you have available. Also, use more than one apple if you want to highlight that flavor, or if you have smaller apples. I really miss Pennsylvania apple orchards this time of year. The selection of apple varieties that make it to interior Alaska is pretty limited.
Method
To begin, set a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add a couple spoonfuls of bacon fat and let it melt while you chop some celery and onions. The fat should be hot enough to make the veggies sizzle when you put them in.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and celery are translucent. If I’m feeling impatient, I will cover the pot so they cook faster.
Remove the veggies and set aside when they are cooked. Use a slotted spoon if you have one, or else tilt the pot so you don’t remove all the fat along with the veggies. You need that for cooking the chicken!
Browning the Chicken
Add the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven. If the pot looks too dry, add another half tablespoon of fat. Alternatively, cook the chicken skin side down at first, to release fat from the skin.
If you’re worried about burning it, turn the heat down to medium-low. Remember you’re just trying to brown the meat at this point. It will have plenty of time to cook in later steps. Flip the pieces over after 3-5 minutes to brown the other side.
When the chicken is browned on both sides, return the celery and onions to the Dutch oven. Next, add the apple cider vinegar, Marsala wine, salt, pepper, and caraway seeds.
Give everything a good stir, then arrange the cabbage slices over the chicken. They don’t need to be down in the liquid at the bottom of the pan; once the lid is on, they will steam just fine.
Put the lid on and walk away
Cover and cook for about 20-25 minutes, until the cabbage is crisp-tender, or nearly at the point you want to eat it. Toss some apple slices in and replace the lid. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the apples are fork tender. Your kitchen should be smelling pretty wonderful at this point!
This is really a no-fuss supper. My favorite kind! Chop everything up, light the stove, and give it a stir now and then. The times listed for cooking are variable and forgiving. I’m pretty sure the cabbage doesn’t mind an extra ten minutes of steaming away atop the chicken if you’re busy with something else.
So the next time you’re wondering what to do with a cabbage, give this chicken dinner recipe a try. Or you could even buy one for the purpose.
Autumn Chicken Dinner
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp bacon fat
- 1/3 cup chopped onions
- 1/3 cup chopped celery
- 4 chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp marsala wine
- 1 tsp caraway seed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 small head of cabbage cut into 4 wedges
- 1 medium apple cut into 12 wedges
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, saute onions and celery in bacon fat for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove mixture from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook until lightly browned on both sides, 5-8 minutes.
- Return vegetables to pan along with chicken. Add vinegar, wine, caraway seed, salt, and pepper. Place cabbage wedges on top of chicken. Cover and cook until chicken is tender and cabbage is crisp-tender, 20-25 minutes.
- Top with apples. Cover and continue cooking another 10-15 minutes until apples are fork tender.
For more autumn-inspired recipes, check out this one for pumpkin spice snickerdoodles!
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