Hairy Bikers Chicken Cider Casserole

A full 500ml bottle of dry cider goes into Hairy Bikers chicken cider casserole, with skinless chicken legs, smoked bacon, carrots, mushrooms and leeks. In The Hairy Dieters, though, Si and Dave call it old-fashioned chicken and vegetable stew, making 4 portions of 435 calories in about 2½ hours.

The way they put it, “the cider and bacon add a touch of sweetness and extra flavour”, which lifts it above a plain stew. And to keep it light, they strip the skin off the chicken legs and use as little oil as possible for browning.

Shaking the chicken in seasoned flour does the thickening, because that coating toasts in the pan and then dissolves into the cider as it cooks. And any flour left in the bag goes into the pot too, so nothing is wasted and no cornflour is needed at the end.

Hairy Bikers Chicken Cider Casserole

Author: Alex Saidani Cooking Method:Braising Cuisine:British Courses:Main Course

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 25 minutesCook time:2 hours 5 minutesRest time: minutesTotal time:2 hours 30 minutesServings:4 servingsCalories:435 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

An old-school British supper where chicken legs, bacon and root veg bake slowly under a lid until the sauce thickens. And the leeks only join for the final 30 to 40 minutes, so they stay green and hold their shape.

Ingredients

For the casserole

• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 4 chicken leg quarters (whole legs, thigh and drumstick attached)
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 4 rashers of rindless smoked back bacon, cut into 1cm strips
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
• 150g small chestnut mushrooms, wiped and sliced, or quartered if large
• 500ml bottle of dry cider
• 300ml chicken stock, made with 1 stock cube
• 2 bay leaves
• 400g Chantenay or other small carrots, trimmed and peeled
• 2 slender leeks, trimmed and cut into 2cm slices
• flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. Flour the chicken: Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, Gas 4. Then mix the flour and thyme with a good pinch of salt and plenty of pepper in a large freezer bag. And strip the skin off the chicken legs, then bend each joint the wrong way until you hear a small crack. Then cut through that joint with a sturdy knife, so each leg gives a thigh and a drumstick, 8 pieces in all. And trim off any visible fat with kitchen scissors.
2. Coat and brown: Shake the chicken in the bag a few pieces at a time until evenly coated. Then heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and brown the chicken in batches until golden all over. As each batch browns, move it to a large flameproof casserole dish.
3. Fry the bacon and veg: Fry the bacon, onions and celery in the same pan for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned, stirring often. Then add the mushrooms for 2 minutes more and tip everything into the casserole. And sprinkle in any flour left in the bag, stirring well.
4. Add the cider: Pour about half the cider into the frying pan and scrape hard with a wooden spoon to lift the sediment. Then let it bubble for a few seconds before pouring it into the casserole with the rest of the cider and the stock. And stir in the carrots and bay leaves, then bring it to a simmer on the hob.
5. Bake: Cover with a lid and cook in the centre of the oven for 1 hour. Then stir in the leeks, put the lid back on and return it for 30 to 40 minutes. And it’s done when the meat pulls easily from the bone and the juices run clear.
6. Serve: Fish out the bay leaves, then serve the casserole with green beans or spring greens, as they suggest.

FAQs

Is this the same as their old-fashioned chicken stew?

Yes, it’s one recipe with two names, since Si and Dave call it a stew while most searches call it a chicken and cider casserole. So if you’ve seen a version with potatoes, peas and crème fraîche, that one isn’t in any of their cookbooks I’ve checked.

Their chicken stew and dumplings is a different dish from Chicken and Egg, built on a light broth with swede and cabbage. And there, suet dumplings flavoured with sage go on top instead of a cider sauce.

How is it different from their Somerset chicken?

Somerset chicken often turns up for this search, and it uses cider too, but it’s a creamy bake rather than a casserole. So their Somerset chicken tops chicken breasts, cream, wholegrain mustard and apples with grilled Cheddar, serving 6 at about 840 calories each.

And their chicken Normandy from Chicken and Egg sits in between, braising legs in 300ml of cider after a brandy or Calvados flambé. Then it finishes with crème fraîche and caramelised apple wedges.

Can I make it in a slow cooker?

They only give an oven method, so treat this as a guide rather than their recipe. Brown everything as written and deglaze with the cider, then move it all to the slow cooker.

But cut the stock to 150ml, because a slow cooker loses almost no liquid. Then cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, adding the leeks for the last hour.

Which cider should I use?

Use a dry cider, as they ask, because a sweet one turns the sauce sugary. Since the bacon already brings sweetness and salt, a dry, sharp cider keeps it balanced.

The alcohol doesn’t all cook off, even after 1 hour 40 minutes in a covered pot. So for an alcohol-free version, use alcohol-free dry cider, which keeps the apple note better than extra stock.

Does it keep, and does it freeze?

Yes, cool it quickly and it keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Then reheat it gently on the hob until piping hot, adding a splash of stock if the sauce has thickened.

It’s an easy one to batch cook too, since it freezes for up to 3 months, though the leeks soften a little. So thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating, and bring it back to a proper simmer.