October is Cider Time

I've been a fan of Anna Pump's since I bought her cookbook, Country Weekend Entertaining in 2000. A much loved and often referred to book. I also bought her first two, The Loaves and Fishes Cookbook and The Loaves and Fishes Party Cookbook. And was so excited this summer for her newest book, Summer On A Plate.

But Country Weekend Entertaining remains my favorite and whenever I want to try a new recipe, it is often the cookbook that I go to. There remains not many that I haven't tried but having chicken breasts and wanting something more fallish to do with them, I found the perfect recipe in my favorite, Country Weekend Entertaining.

It's an easy recipe and the sweet cider sauce is so good -- not only over the chicken but with the apples as well. I did use fresh garden thyme -- 2 Tablesoons rather than the two teaspoons of dried called for in the recipe.

This is not a one time try recipe but will become an autumn favorite.

THYME CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH SAUTEED APPLES AND CIDER SAUCE

3 T. butter
1 t. sugar
4 tart aples, peeled, cored, cut into wedges
4 chicken cutlets (approximately 2 pounds)
2 t. dried thyme leaves
2 t. salt
2 t. freshly ground black pepper
3 T. peanut oil
1/2 c. minced shallots
2 T. Calvados (apple brandy)
1/2 cup apple cider
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Preheat theoven to 200

In a large skillet, melt 2 T. of the butter. Sprinkle in the sugar. When the skillet is hot, add the apples and saute for 2minutes, then transfer the apples to an ovenproof plate. Placein the warm oven until ready to use.

Trim the chicken cutlets of all fat. Season with the thyme, salt and pepper, pressing it onto both sides of the cutlets.

Add the peanut oil and the remaining 3 T. of butter to the skillet. So s not to crowd the pan, saute the cutletsin batches over medium heat, 6 minutes per side, until they're cooked through. Transfer the cutlets to a plate and place them in the warm oven.

In the same skillet, saute the shallots, tossing them for about 2 minutes to make sure that they cook on all sides. Add the Calvados and cook for 1 minute. Add the apple cider and cream, and stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over high heat untl the sauce starts to thicken. This should take about 2 minutes.

To serve, place a chicken cutlet on each of the 4 plates. Nap each with some sauce. Place the sauteed apples around the cutlet and garnish with the thyme sprigs. Serve hot.