Chicken, Apples Combine for Gala Dinner Dish

Easy to Fix Meal Uses Spices for Flavoring, Hints of Dessert

Sep 25, 2009

Gala apples star in this easy dish, teaming up with apple juice, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and chicken to make a meal that is strong in the "wow!" department.

Gala apples are crisp and sweet, and come on early in the harvest season. Developed in New Zealand, they’re one of the most popular apples grown in Washington State. The apples are flushed with red stripes on a yellow background. The apples keep well when stored in a cool place, such as a refrigerator or unheated garage.

Galas Are Great for Baking, Eating

Gala apples are great for eating and baking, but they also are great when sautéed by themselves or with other ingredients, such as this Gala Chicken Dinner. Gala Chicken Dinner is easy to make and is sure to impress dinner guests. The aroma of cinnamon and cloves fills the kitchen as this dish cooks, letting everyone know autumn is here.

Gala Chicken Dinner:

Ingredients:

2 tbs. butter or margarine
2 cups apple juice (fresh-pressed is best, but any natural-style juice or cider will work)
3 chicken thighs or 6 drumsticks, or any combination
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. whole cloves
2 Gala apples (other sweet, crisp apples can be used if Galas are not available)

Directions:

Melt the butter in a 10-inch heavy frying pan. (This recipe is made in a 10-inch skillet. Cooks using a larger frying pan should increase the amount of all ingredients proportionately.)
Add the chicken thighs or drumsticks and brown over medium-high heat.
When the chicken is browned, pour the apple juice over it.
Place the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves in different places in the pan.
Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is almost done.
Core and slice the apples in thick slices, and then tuck around the chicken in the pan. Put the cover back on the pan.
Continue simmering for another 15 minutes, removing the lid for the last 5 minutes or until the apples are soft.

The apple juice will cook down to a thick syrup which can be poured over the chicken after it is plated. Serve with white rice (steamed or boiled), tossed green salad, a green vegetable such as broccoli, and garlic bread.

Galas Make Excellent Fried Apples, Too

Core and slice 1 apple per person. Melt 1 tbs. of butter or margarine per apple in a frying pan. Add the apples, and fry over medium hit. Stir occasionally to make sure the apples on the bottom don’t burn. The dish is done when all the apple slices are soft. Galas a re naturally sweet, so there’s no need to add sugar to the cooked apples. However, adding a spoonful of artificial brown sugar or sugar-free maple syrup enhances the flavor even more.

Easy Chicken Dish Features Glazed Drumsticks - gives details on how to easily prepare a spectacular main course using chicken drumsticks marinated in soy sauce, garlic, honey and oil.

The copyright of the article Chicken, Apples Combine for Gala Dinner Dish in Fall Recipes is owned by Cheryl Probst. Permission to republish Chicken, Apples Combine for Gala Dinner Dish in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.