Chef Isabel
Ànec amb Peres
Ànec amb peres is Catalan celebration cooking: duck braised in a dark sofregit, firm autumn pears added near the end, and an almond-garlic picada that turns the juices into a close, glossy sauce.
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Pollo a la Sidra Asturiano
Created by
Asturias braises chicken with its dry natural cider, sweet onion, and tart apple. Brown the meat well, then reduce the cider until the sauce clings in a bright, glossy coat.
Main Dishes
Spanish
Comfort Food
One Pot
Weeknight
20 min
Active Time
1 hr 15 min cook•1 hr 35 min total
Yield4 servings
Pollo a la sidra is Asturian: browned chicken braised with sidra natural, the region's dry, still cider, until onion and tart apple collapse into a sharp, glossy sauce. This belongs to Asturias's orchard country. What makes it different from a chicken braised in wine elsewhere is the cider's clean acidity and faint farmhouse edge. Sweet bottled cider gives you sticky chicken, which is another thing entirely.
The part I watch is the reduction. Brown the chicken properly, cook the onion low until dark gold, then boil the cider uncovered until its harsh edge softens and its volume falls by a third. Once the chicken is tender, lift it out and reduce the sauce again. That second reduction concentrates the apple while rounding its bite, so the sauce clings rather than running across the plate. Rush it and you have cider-flavored broth.
If Asturian sidra natural isn't sold where you are, use the driest unsweetened hard cider you can find. A dry sparkling cider will do if you open it and let it settle first; the sauce may taste a little fruitier and less earthy, but it will still be sound. Don't use apple juice. No hace falta haber pisado España, you don't need to have set foot in Spain. In the Margin beside this recipe I wrote one line: reduce again after the chicken comes out. Follow that, and it turns out.
Pollo a la sidra belongs to Asturias's orchard belt, particularly the Comarca de la Sidra around Villaviciosa and Nava, where apples are pressed in llagares, cider houses and presses, into dry sidra natural. Asturian natural cider is served still; its brief sparkle comes from escanciar, pouring it from height, while in the casserole its acidity cuts the richness of chicken and concentrates into sauce.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
Quantity
1.5kg (about 8 pieces)
patted dry
fine sea salt
Quantity
12g
divided
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1g
plain flour
Quantity
25g
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
45ml
yellow onions
Quantity
350g
thinly sliced
garlic
Quantity
16g (about 4 cloves)
finely chopped
Reineta or other tart cooking apple
Quantity
180g
peeled, cored, and cut into 1cm dice
Asturian sidra natural, or another dry unsweetened hard cider
Quantity
500ml
bay leaf
Quantity
1
water (optional)
Quantity
up to 100ml
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
10g
finely chopped
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumstickspatted dry | 1.5kg (about 8 pieces) |
| fine sea saltdivided | 12g |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1g |
| plain flour | 25g |
| extra virgin olive oil | 45ml |
| yellow onionsthinly sliced | 350g |
| garlicfinely chopped | 16g (about 4 cloves) |
| Reineta or other tart cooking applepeeled, cored, and cut into 1cm dice | 180g |
| Asturian sidra natural, or another dry unsweetened hard cider | 500ml |
| bay leaf | 1 |
| water (optional) | up to 100ml |
| flat-leaf parsleyfinely chopped | 10g |
Equipment Needed
- •Wide heavy casserole with lid, 28-30cm
- •Kitchen tongs
- •Instant-read thermometer
Instructions
- 1
Season and flour
Season the dried chicken all over with 10g of the salt and the black pepper. Dust it lightly with the flour, then shake off every loose patch. You want a thin coating that helps the meat brown and gives the finished sauce a little body, not a heavy crust.
Dry chicken browns. Wet chicken stews in its own water before the cider has even reached the pot, so take the minute and use a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. - 2
Brown the chicken
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in two batches, skin side down first, for about 5 minutes without disturbing it. Turn and brown the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer each batch to a plate. The skin should be a deep, even gold, with dark browned patches around the joints.
- 3
Cook the onion base
Lower the heat to medium-low. Leave about 30ml of fat in the casserole, spooning away any excess. Add the onions and the remaining 2g salt, then cook for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until dark gold, soft, and almost jammy. This is the sofrito, the slow onion base. If it catches before it softens, add 15ml water and scrape the bottom. Add the garlic and diced apple and cook for 3 minutes more.
- 4
Reduce the cider
Pour in the cider and scrape up every browned bit from the bottom. Bring it to a brisk boil and leave it uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until the level has fallen by roughly one-third and the sharp alcoholic smell has softened into tart apple. This first reduction matters. If the cider goes straight into a covered braise, the sauce stays thin and tastes raw.
- 5
Braise gently
Return the chicken and its resting juices to the casserole, keeping the skin mostly above the liquid, and tuck in the bay leaf. The cider should reach about halfway up the pieces; add only enough water to reach that level, up to 100ml. Bring it to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes. Shake the casserole once or twice instead of stirring hard. The thickest piece must reach at least 74°C at the bone.
- 6
Finish the sauce
Move the cooked chicken to a warm serving dish and discard the bay leaf. Boil the sauce uncovered over medium-high heat for 6 to 10 minutes, stirring along the bottom, until the onion and apple have nearly melted into it and the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Taste only after reducing, because the salt concentrates with the cider. If it becomes too thick, loosen it with 15ml water.
- 7
Glaze and rest
Return the chicken to the casserole and spoon the sauce over it for 2 minutes, turning each piece until glossy. Scatter over the parsley, remove from the heat, and rest for 5 minutes before serving. The sauce should be tart, savory, and softly fruity, never sugary. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Chef Tips
- •Buy sidra natural if you can: dry, tart, and not sweetened. If the label reads sweet, flavored, or alcohol-free, leave it for drinking another day. The cider is the sauce, so there is nowhere for poor cider to hide.
- •Reineta is the Asturian apple to look for. Bramley works well abroad, and Granny Smith will do at a pinch. Granny Smith stays firmer and tastes cleaner; Bramley collapses more completely and thickens the sauce.
- •Use a casserole at least 28cm wide and brown the chicken in batches. Crowding traps moisture, leaving the skin pale and the browned flavor you need stuck in your imagination rather than the pot.
- •Serve this with plain fried or boiled potatoes, or with sturdy bread for the sauce. Pour the remaining cider at the table on the day you open it, while its tart apple character is still lively.
- •Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat them covered over low heat until the chicken reaches 74°C, adding 15 to 30ml water if the sauce has tightened.
Advance Preparation
- •Season the chicken with the measured salt up to 8 hours ahead and refrigerate it uncovered. Take it out 20 minutes before cooking, then pat the surface dry before flouring.
- •The complete dish can be made 1 day ahead. Cool it promptly and refrigerate the chicken in its sauce, then reheat gently for 15 to 20 minutes with a small splash of water. Add the parsley only when serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 410g)
Calories
725 calories
Total Fat
50 g
Saturated Fat
12 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
35 g
Cholesterol
235 mg
Sodium
1420 mg
Total Carbohydrates
25 g
Dietary Fiber
3 g
Sugars
12 g
Protein
43 g
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