Chicken with apples in the oven: a step-by-step cooking method
Oven baked chicken with apples will be a great addition to the festive table. The recipe is common due to the available ingredients and balanced taste.
What is needed
The first step is to prepare the ingredients.
As the name suggests, the recipe for chicken with apples in the oven suggests the presence of:
- uncut chicken carcass;
- fresh apples;
- sour cream or mayonnaise for coating;
- salt, pepper, garlic, spices and herbs to taste.
From the inventory you will need:
- a bowl or small saucepan;
- garlic;
- knife;
- thread and needle;
- oven.
How to cook chicken with apples in the oven
When everything you need is ready, you can start pickling:
- 1-2 cloves of garlic are squeezed out, mixed with seasonings and herbs. You can use ready-made chicken mixtures, and pick up the spices yourself. The most commonly used are thyme, rosemary, marjoram, cloves, paprika, and basil.
- The chilled carcass is washed in cold water, all excess fat is cut off from it. Inside and outside, first, the meat is coated with the prepared mixture, then with sour cream (mayonnaise).
- 5-6 apples are washed and scalded with boiling water. The core is cut from the fruit cut in half. Each half will make 3-4 slices. All pieces are laid as tightly as possible in all cavities of the carcass. The holes are sewn with a sturdy needle and sturdy darning thread. Long ends are left to easily remove the attachments later.
- Chicken stuffed with apples in the oven must be left for at least half an hour before baking. During this time, both the apple and the meat will be saturated with spices. While the bird is marinating, the oven heats up to 180 degrees. The carcass is laid out on a baking sheet, greased with vegetable oil. Chicken with apples in the oven needs to cook for 1.5-2 hours, depending on the weight of the bird. In order to prevent the skin from drying out, it is periodically watered with melted fat and released apple juice... So it will remain juicy and covered with a golden crust.
The finished meat is laid out on a dish, the threads are pulled out. The chicken is cut before serving. The apples are stacked on a plate with the bird. They can be an independent side dish or just a flavoring addition to meat.
Most often, it is suggested to make a light side dish of vegetables for chicken with apples.
Helpful hints
Several punctures can be made in the carcass so that the meat is better saturated with spices. The addition of turmeric and curry mixture to the coating will give a golden color. A spoonful of honey will give a ruddy crust and pleasant sweetness.
After stuffing and sewing, it is better to tie the chicken legs. So the carcass is fried more evenly.
It is better to take thick threads, and a needle with a large eye. Large stitches are made to make it easier to pull them out later. At the same time, apples should not stick out or fall out of the gaps, juice should not flow out.
30-40 minutes before the poultry is ready, you can put a few more apples on a baking sheet and bake. They will absorb the taste and aroma of chicken and spices and will be a complete garnish for meat.
Chicken with apples in the oven is stuffed with green fruits. They give a pleasant sourness to the meat, absorbing excess fat.
The firmer pulp retains its appearance after baking. And so that they do not darken, the slices are sprayed lemon juice.
The readiness of the meat is checked with a toothpick.It should easily enter, and clear juice without blood should flow out of the hole.
The most useful cooking option is in the baking sleeve. It does not require the addition of vegetable oil at all, and the skin will not burn. The juice that comes out will be enough. It does not evaporate from several punctures made. The bird always remains juicy in the package. And to form a crust, the sleeve opens from above 10-15 minutes before being ready.
How to speed up cooking
Whole chicken takes 2-3 times longer to cook than single portions. Accordingly, you can pre-cut the carcass or buy your favorite type of meat (breast, thighs, drumsticks).
In this version, the meat is marinated without mayonnaise or sour cream: enough spices. The apple slices are placed between the slices. From above everything is poured with a small amount of oil. In the process of readiness, juice and fat will stand out, so it will only be needed to give a light crust and exclude burning of the skin. Cooking will be reduced to 30-50 minutes, depending on the type and size of the pieces, the selected cooking temperature (usually 180-200 degrees).
It is easy to diversify the dish on the festive table by experimenting a little with the ingredients. For example, it is proposed to supplement the rather neutral taste of apples with the addition of cinnamon or prunes. These additives will give a completely new flavor to a familiar dish.
Chicken with apples in the oven is a common combination for a casual or festive dinner. The recipe is easy, doesn't require a lot of ingredients.