Baked chicken thighs with cider, mustard and clotted cream

'This is a delicious dish to bring to the table when you're looking for something comforting,' says food writer Gill Meller
Baked chicken thighs

Chef and food writer Gill Meller shares his recipe for baked chicken thighs with cider, whole-grain mustard and Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream

roddas.co.uk

Serves    3-4
Oven temp    190°C / 170°C fan / gas 5
  • Free-range chicken thighs 6
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Olive oil 2 tbsp
  • Streaky bacon 6 rashers, cut into small pieces
  • Onion 1, peeled and finely chopped
  • Garlic 2 cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Rosemary 2 sprigs
  • Leeks 2 small, trimmed, rinsed and cut into 1–2 cm rounds
  • Sage leaves a handful, roughly ribboned
  • Medium-dry cider 450ml
  • Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream 227g
  • Wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp
  • Flat-leaf parsley ½ bunch, leaves picked and chopped 
  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C /170°C fan/gas 5. Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper.
  2. Put a large casserole or roasting dish on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and, when it’s hot, carefully place the seasoned chicken thighs, skin side down, into the dish. Fry for 4–5 minutes on each side or until  golden. Lift the chicken out of the dish onto a plate but leave the dish on the heat.
  3. Add the bacon pieces to the dish and fry for a few minutes until they are just beginning to crisp a little around the edges. Scatter in the chopped onion and garlic along with the sage and rosemary sprigs, and stir well. Cook the onions for 4–5 minutes or until they are soft. Add the leeks and stir well, then nestle in the chicken thighs, skin side up. Pour in the cider and bring to a gentle simmer. Put the dish, uncovered, into the middle of the preheated oven and cook for 45–50 minutes.
  4. Remove the dish from the oven and set it back on the stove over a medium heat. Lift the chicken out onto a plate and cover with foil while you make the sauce. Stir in the clotted cream and mustard and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the sauce has thickened slightly and looks lovely and rich. Stir in the parsley, return the chicken to the pan, warm through and bring to the table.
  5. Serve the baked chicken thighs with side dishes such as celeriac and potato mash with more Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream stirred through and buttered purple sprouting broccoli.

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You will need

  • Free-range chicken thighs 6
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Olive oil 2 tbsp
  • Streaky bacon 6 rashers, cut into small pieces
  • Onion 1, peeled and finely chopped
  • Garlic 2 cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Rosemary 2 sprigs
  • Leeks 2 small, trimmed, rinsed and cut into 1–2 cm rounds
  • Sage leaves a handful, roughly ribboned
  • Medium-dry cider 450ml
  • Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream 227g
  • Wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp
  • Flat-leaf parsley ½ bunch, leaves picked and chopped 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C /170°C fan/gas 5. Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper.
  2. Put a large casserole or roasting dish on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and, when it’s hot, carefully place the seasoned chicken thighs, skin side down, into the dish. Fry for 4–5 minutes on each side or until  golden. Lift the chicken out of the dish onto a plate but leave the dish on the heat.
  3. Add the bacon pieces to the dish and fry for a few minutes until they are just beginning to crisp a little around the edges. Scatter in the chopped onion and garlic along with the sage and rosemary sprigs, and stir well. Cook the onions for 4–5 minutes or until they are soft. Add the leeks and stir well, then nestle in the chicken thighs, skin side up. Pour in the cider and bring to a gentle simmer. Put the dish, uncovered, into the middle of the preheated oven and cook for 45–50 minutes.
  4. Remove the dish from the oven and set it back on the stove over a medium heat. Lift the chicken out onto a plate and cover with foil while you make the sauce. Stir in the clotted cream and mustard and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the sauce has thickened slightly and looks lovely and rich. Stir in the parsley, return the chicken to the pan, warm through and bring to the table.
  5. Serve the baked chicken thighs with side dishes such as celeriac and potato mash with more Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream stirred through and buttered purple sprouting broccoli.
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'I use chicken thighs because they have so much flavour and stay beautifully moist as they’re cooking,' says Gill

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  • Free-range chicken thighs 6
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Olive oil 2 tbsp
  • Streaky bacon 6 rashers, cut into small pieces
  • Onion 1, peeled and finely chopped
  • Garlic 2 cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Rosemary 2 sprigs
  • Leeks 2 small, trimmed, rinsed and cut into 1–2 cm rounds
  • Sage leaves a handful, roughly ribboned
  • Medium-dry cider 450ml
  • Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream 227g
  • Wholegrain mustard 1 tbsp
  • Flat-leaf parsley ½ bunch, leaves picked and chopped 
  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C /170°C fan/gas 5. Season the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper.
  2. Put a large casserole or roasting dish on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and, when it’s hot, carefully place the seasoned chicken thighs, skin side down, into the dish. Fry for 4–5 minutes on each side or until  golden. Lift the chicken out of the dish onto a plate but leave the dish on the heat.
  3. Add the bacon pieces to the dish and fry for a few minutes until they are just beginning to crisp a little around the edges. Scatter in the chopped onion and garlic along with the sage and rosemary sprigs, and stir well. Cook the onions for 4–5 minutes or until they are soft. Add the leeks and stir well, then nestle in the chicken thighs, skin side up. Pour in the cider and bring to a gentle simmer. Put the dish, uncovered, into the middle of the preheated oven and cook for 45–50 minutes.
  4. Remove the dish from the oven and set it back on the stove over a medium heat. Lift the chicken out onto a plate and cover with foil while you make the sauce. Stir in the clotted cream and mustard and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the sauce has thickened slightly and looks lovely and rich. Stir in the parsley, return the chicken to the pan, warm through and bring to the table.
  5. Serve the baked chicken thighs with side dishes such as celeriac and potato mash with more Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream stirred through and buttered purple sprouting broccoli.

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