30-60 min4 servingsbacon

French Cider and Mustard–Braised Chicken

By Ivy Manning

4 servings

30-60 min

Easy

French Cider and Mustard–Braised Chicken

Recipe Details

Course: Main Dishes

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 25 min

Total Time: 30-60 min

Cooking Technique: Pressure Cook, Sauté

Cuisine: French

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 slices bacon
8 chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
4 cups cremini mushrooms
2 large shallots
1 1/2 cups hard apple cider
2 tbsp mustard

Hard apple cider is a common cooking ingredient in Normandy, France, a region that produces some of the world’s best cider. In this rich French dish, bone-in chicken thighs are sautéed with bacon and braised with cider and mushrooms. It’s delicious served over cooked egg noodles.

INSTRUCTIONS

Select SAUTÉ and adjust to NORMAL/MEDIUM heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon; leave the drippings in the pot. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Add half of the chicken to the pot and cook until browned on one side, 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. (This step adds flavor to the sauce. Do not brown the other half of the chicken.)
Add the mushrooms and shallots to the pot and sauté until theshallots are tender, 3 minutes. Add the cider and mustard and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Press CANCEL.
Add all of the chicken, any accumulated juices, and bacon to the pot. Lock on the lid, select the PRESSURE COOK function, and adjust to HIGH pressure for 20 minutes. Make sure the steam valve is in the “Sealing” position. (Or you can SLOW COOK it—see below.)
When the cooking time is up, quick-release the pressure. Removethe lid and transfer the chicken and vegetables to a serving dish with a slotted spoon. Cover with foil and set aside.
Select SAUTÉ, adjust to MORE/HIGH heat, and bring to asimmer. Using a ladle, skim any liquid fat that pools on top of the sauce and discard. Cook until the sauce is reduced by half, 5 minutes. Press CANCEL. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Notes

SLOW COOK IT: In Step 3, select SLOW COOK, adjust to NORMAL/MEDIUM heat, and set for 7 to 8 hours. Place the lid set to “Venting” or use a pan lid that fits snugly on the pot. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

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About the chef

Ivy Manning

Ivy Manning is a Portland, Oregon-based food and travel writer and author of 10 cookbooks including her most recent title, Tacos A to Z- A Delicious Guide To Inauthentic Tacos (West Margin Press, 2023). Her work regularly appears in Cooking Light, Clean Eating, Eating Well, Better Homes & Gardens, and The Kitchn.com. She is a regular contributor to lifestyle brands like Fitbit, My Fitness Pal and The Spruce Eats. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Manning attended Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, followed by an externship at the award-winning Paley’s Place restaurant, stints at some of Portland’s best restaurants, and stages in Barbaresco, Italy and Chiang Mai, Thailand. She held the position of Salud Cooking School director at Whole Foods Market in Portland for several years and currently teaches classes at Bob’s Red Mill. Manning lives in a sweet bungalow in Portland, Oregon with her vegetarian husband Gregor, and her rescued Whippets, Astor and Remy. When she’s not in the kitchen, she’s traveling the world to eat, working with the nonprofit Les Dames D’Escoffier Portland, hanging out in international food markets, or doing yoga with goats.

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