hard cider

This simple, classic braise from northern France brings together the fall flavors of sweet apples, yeasty cider, cream and chicken. The only trick is flambéing the Calvados or brandy, which gives it a toasty flavor — it’s literally playing with fire, so if you’d prefer not to do that, you can stay safe and get very similar results by pouring the liquor in off-heat, and gently simmering it to evaporate the alcohol.

Poulet à la Normande

chicken,

Salt and black pepper

olive oil, duck fat or chicken fat

Calvados

pearl onions, peeled (frozen is fine)

cornstarch

crème fraîche (see note)

Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels, and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the fat in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Brown the chicken, in batches if necessary, skin side down until deep golden, 6 to 8 minutes, then flip, and sear the other side until golden, another 3 minutes.

If flambéing: Make sure there is nothing flammable near or above your stove. Gently warm the Calvados in a saucepan over medium heat. When the chicken is well browned, protect your hand, and use a long kitchen match to light the liquor on fire, then carefully pour it into the chicken pan. The flame can shoot over 2 feet high, so be careful. Cook until the flame subsides. If not flambéing: Once the chicken is browned, turn off the heat, and add the Calvados. When the sizzling subsides, turn the heat on to medium low, bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes to evaporate the alcohol.

Add the cider and onions, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer. Quickly peel and core the apples, and cut them into 1 1/2-inch chunks, and place them on top of the chicken. Cover the pan, and cook, checking occasionally to ensure the liquid is maintaining a gentle simmer, not boiling, until the chicken is just cooked through, 35-40 minutes.

Remove the chicken, onions and apples to a platter, and cover. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of cold water. Stir this into the braising liquid, and bring to a simmer for 1 minute, until thickened. Stir in the crème fraîche, and season the sauce with salt to taste, replace the chicken, onions and apples in the sauce and serve with crusty bread and a salad.

A delicious and simple berry hard cider recipe.

Berry Hard Cider Recipe

gal Apple Cider

tsp Yeast Nutrient

pack Nottingham Ale Yeast

lbs Mixed Berries

2.5 tsp Campden (for bottling)

2.5 tsp Sorbate (for bottling)

Sanitize Everything

Clean and sanitize all cider making equipment before starting.

Fill the Fermenter

Pour the Apple juice into the fermenting vessel.

Hydrometer Reading

Take a hydrometer reading to measure the gravity and record.

Add Nutrient

Pitch Yeast

Attach Airlock

Close the fermenter and install an airlock filled with sanitizer.

Ferment

Allow the cider to ferment in a cool and dark place for about two weeks.

Dry Hop

Pack the berries into a hop bag and place the bag into the fermenter for about a week.

Bottle

Celebrate Katniss Everdeen with this Hunger Games inspired fireball cocktail - The Girl on Fireball! OR just celebrate your love of perfect fall cocktail recipes and combine spiced Fireball with hard cider! 

The Girl on Fireball Cocktail

shot Fireball Whiskey

Slowly pour the two together to reduce any...

Slowly pour the two together to reduce any foam. Enjoy!

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Celebrate Katniss Everdeen with this Hunger Games inspired cocktail – The Girl on Fireball Cocktail! OR just celebrate your love of perfect fall cocktail recipes and combine a hard apple cider with spiced Fireball Whiskey!

GIRL ON FIREBALL RECIPE

There are some culinary combinations that cannot be improved upon, and apples and pork is surely one of them. This recipe calls for pan-frying boneless pork chops and serving them with butter-browned apples and a Normandy-style sauce made with cider and cream. It makes for a perfect cold weather meal.

Pork Chops With Apples and Cider

black peppercorns

cloves

allspice berries

sage

salt

pork

apples

butter

All-purpose flour,

hard cider,

Dijon mustard

chicken broth

potato starch

crème fraîche

Calvados, apple brandy

chives

parsley

Make the spice salt: Put peppercorns, cloves, allspice and sage in a spice mill or mortar and grind to a powder. Remove to a bowl and stir in salt. Season pork chops on both sides with salt mixture. (There will be some salt mixture remaining; use it to season the sauce, Step 4.) Cover and leave chops at room temperature to absorb seasonings for at least 30 minutes.

Peel, quarter and core apples, then cut each apple into 12 wedges. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a wide skillet and raise heat to medium-high. Add apple wedges in one layer and brown gently on one side, about 2 minutes. Brown on the other side and cook for 2 minutes more, or until apples are cooked through but still firm. Remove apples from pan and keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan and swirl to melt. Dust pork chops with flour, and place in pan and brown gently for about 4 minutes per side. Adjust heat if necessary to keep pork from cooking too quickly. Remove chops and keep warm on a platter in a low oven. Discard remaining butter.

Add ½ cup cider to pan, raise heat to high and cook down to a syrup. Add mustard and chicken broth, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add potato starch and stir with a wire whisk as the sauce thickens. Stir in crème fraîche. Season to taste with remaining spiced salt. Add 2 tablespoons cider and the Calvados, if using. Cook for 1 minute more.

Spoon sauce over the chops, then spoon the apples around the platter. Sprinkle with chives and parsley.

Here is the the beauty of wassail: more than just another nice-tasting drink, it’s part of a long (if largely forgotten) tradition of celebrating the life that winter can seem determined to snuff out. It’s a fragrant, warming concoction mixed in bulk (this recipe makes 12 servings) and set out for sharing, all but demanding that you call in a crowd. There’s really no such thing as wassail for one. A punch bowl is good for this, although you can also ladle it into individual cups. (The New York Times)

Wassail

brown sugar

dark brown sugar

Madeira

(22 4/10 ounces) London Pride Ale

(48 ounces) Strongbow English Cider

apple cider

cinnamon sticks, 2 inches long

orange peel, 2 inches long

ginger

nutmeg

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place apples in a 9-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Spoon light and dark brown sugar into center of each apple, dividing sugar evenly among them. Pour 1 cup water into bottom of dish and bake until tender, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, pour Madeira, ale and English and apple ciders into a large slow cooker or heavy pot. Place cloves, allspice, cinnamon and orange peel into cheesecloth, tie shut with kitchen twine and add to slow cooker or pot along with ginger and nutmeg. Set slow cooker to medium, or place pot over low heat. Gently simmer for about 1 hour, while apples bake, or longer if desired.

Add liquid from the baking dish and stir to combine. Using tongs, transfer apples into slow cooker or pot to garnish. Reduce heat. Ladle hot wassail into heatproof cups to serve.

Learn how to make a delicious and simple fermented hard cider recipe at home.

Homemade Hard Cider Recipe

pack Safale S-04 Yeast

tab Campden

Take a hydrometer reading to measure the original gravity and record.

Add Campden if using fresh unpasteurized cider if desired.

A delicious and simple dry hopped hard cider recipe.

Citra Hopped Hard Cider Recipe

oz Citra Hops

Pour the hops into a hop bag and place the hop bag into the fermenter for about a week.

Pear Hard Cider Recipe

gal Pear Juice

2.5 tsp Potassium Metabisulfite

2.5 tsp Potassium Sorbate

Pour the pear juice into the fermenting vessel.

Take a hydrometer reading to measure the gravity.

Install the airlock on the fermented and fill with sanitizer.

This recipe would also work with small cipolline onions or larger torpedo-shaped shallots.

Cider-and-Bourbon-Glazed Shallots

shallots,

⅔ cup (or more) apple cider vinegar

unsalted butter

bourbon

maple syrup

kosher salt,

black pepper

Bon Appétit

Bring shallots, vinegar, butter, bourbon, maple syrup, ¼ tsp. salt, and 2 cups water to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, adding water by the tablespoonful if needed, until shallots are crisp-tender and liquid is partly evaporated, 25–30 minutes.

Uncover shallots and cook until liquid is evaporated and shallots begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan often, until shallots and surface of skillet are covered in a rich brown caramel, about 6 minutes. Add ¼ cup water to skillet and stir to deglaze caramel and coat shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl and let cool.

To reheat, cover bowl with plastic wrap and microwave on high in 30-second intervals, tossing in between, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and vinegar if needed.

Do Ahead: Shallots can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Hard Cider From Store Bought Juice

Roasting a pork loin on a bed of apples, onions and cinnamon moistened with cider gives the meat a caramelized sweetness and spicy perfume. The roast browns on top while the apples and onions collapse into a meltingly tender, golden heap beneath it. Then, to offset all the soft richness, bright and tangy pickled apples and chiles are served alongside. It’s a dish that’s both company worthy and cozy, as perfect for a Sunday supper, spooned over mashed potatoes or polenta, as it is served to guests alongside an elegant gratin. Keep some extra apple cider on hand to add to the pan if it dries out and starts to burn. Just a splash or two should do it.

Cider-Roasted Pork Loin With Pickled Apples and Chiles

cider vinegar

sugar

coriander seeds

kosher salt

tart apple,

jalapeños,

(2 1/2 pork loin (not tenderloin)

rosemary,

fennel seeds,

large, tart apple, halved, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices

onion,

garlic cloves,

cinnamon stick, broken

chicken stock, more as needed

(8 fluid ounces) hard apple cider or chicken stock, more as needed

butter, cubed

NYT Cooking

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To make the pickled apples, in a small pot, combine 1/4 cup water with vinegar, sugar, allspice, coriander and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes.

Put apples and jalapeños in a medium heatproof bowl or jar, and pour hot vinegar mixture on top. Let cool to room temperature and let pickle for at least 2 hours. (Mixture can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the refrigerator.)

Rub pork all over with rosemary, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Refrigerate, fat side up and uncovered, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place pork on a rimmed 11-by-18-inch sheet pan. Scatter apples, onion, garlic and cinnamon stick in an even layer around pork loin. Transfer baking sheet to oven rack, and add chicken stock, then carefully pour in cider (it’s best to position pan in oven, then pour in liquid). You may not need all of the cider here. You can add more later as it roasts — stop if it threatens to overflow.

Roast until pork reaches 135 degrees internally, 35 to 50 minutes. Keep an eye on the pork. If all the cider evaporates and baking dish starts to burn while the pork is cooking, add a splash more cider.

Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, transfer roasted apples, onions and garlic to a serving platter (discard cinnamon sticks). Scrape jus and any golden bits from baking sheet into a small pot, and bring to a simmer (add a little more chicken stock if needed). Whisk in butter and a pinch of salt and cook until the sauce is reduced by about a third (you just want to thicken it up a bit), 3 to 7 minutes. Pour in any juices from the cutting board where the pork loin is resting.

Slice pork and place on a serving platter, along with the roasted apples and onions. Drizzle some of the sauce and also some of the liquid from the pickled apples on top. Garnish with the rosemary, and serve with pickled apples and jalapeños alongside.

It was summer. No apples, but peaches. SO, the herb profile changed. Out with the cinnamon, in with tarragon (from our porch) added while I was doing the final stewing of them. (We skipped the pickles and just did extra peaches.)
Thanks to the person who suggested that we roast in a cast iron skillet. No worry about spills!
There was no conversation at dinner, just the sound of people reaching for more.

Used a cast iron skillet per one of the other comments and will not do that again.  Flavors were delicious but the color was unappetizing - everything was   Greige.  Assuming the sheet pan allows the onions and apples to carmelize a bit?

Did everything quicker than the recipe called for, and it was all still delicious.  Definitely needed more liquid (I used a half sheet), but the flavors came together fantastically.  Served with the Cabbage Caesar that's elsewhere on the NYT site and thought that was a great pairing.

This was an amazing dish.  I doubled the liquid in the sheet pan for baking and still had to add over a cup more of apple cider.  I too forgot to bring out the pickled apples/chiles, but they weren't missed.  I added an extra apple for baking and wished I had added two.

This came out so moist and delicious, maybe because I left it covered in its spices for 24 hours. I found it to be undercooked at 135 degrees, but that is better than overcooked any day. I did as one cook suggested, to put it in a cast iron skillet, which worked well. Definitely a keeper recipe.

We really enjoyed this one. Didn’t have any cider on hand so we swapped it for white wine (soave). We also added a potato into the mix to make a more complete meal. Will make again!

Made the best sandwich either the leftovers! Used Dijon, mayo, arugula, & the pickled apples & jalapeños. Thinly sliced the pork, heated it in a pan, & melted good cheddar cheese on top!

Think this would work with a pork LOIN roast? Just stop a135 internal temp?

This was excellent, will do again!  Due to unexpected change in plans, the roast sat in the fridge for 36+ hours in the rosemary, fennel & salt rub.  Brought to room temp and roasted at 425F  to 145F, let rest.  Meat was very tender, and very tasty.  Roasted with a sweet  onion, apple, 2 pears and fresh cranberries. No hard cider on hand, substituted cranberry juice.  Reduced sauce with butter.  This was excellent as well.  Next time will double the apple mixture. Skipped the pickled apples.

I used 3.74 lb pork loin   Used 2 apples, 1.5 onions and chicken broth.  Next time more apples and more onions - they were a hit.  Used a stainless steel jelly roll pan that was the size of a quarter sheet.   Cooked for 1 hr 5 min to get to 160 on meat thermometer - was tender and juicy.  Had great reviews

Using this recipe with a bone-in loin makes a fantastic meal with a beautiful presentation (adjust cooking times, of course)

A perfect Easter dish - very flavorful and moist! I would take the advice of others and double the onions and apples next time.

Make 3x pickling liquid
Almost too much fennel seed on pork crust, but good
Try sliced fennel bulb in the onion/apple

Used a 9x13 ceramic pan and wound up with the perfect amount of juice/sauce, and the onion & apple mixture was perfectly cooked; maintained integrity and made a great side dish.

Used orange juice instead of cider. Instead of cinnamon stick, tossed onion/apples/garlic with about 5 good shakes of Trader Joe’s Classic Bitters. Cannot recommend enough!!

Everyone loved this. I used what I had on hand- one Granny Smith and one Fuji, part red, part white onions, plus a fennel bulb, for the roast. Used parchment; didn’t need extra liquid for cooking, though I wished I could’ve wrung some of the drippings out of it for the sauce. Doubled the picking juice for the apple (Granny), which mos def needed an hour or more to marinate- really added to the dish! Reduced heat by 25 deg for convection roasting. Perfect at 135! 

Nordic Ware makes a 2" deep sheet pan that is perfect for this dish (and other roasts).  Line it with parchment paper, put down the apples, onions and such, set in a rack, and place the roast on top.  Everything this dish promises and no worries about too much liquid.

This was delicious! After rubbing the herbs, salt & pepper on the meat, I coated it with dijon mustard and let it chill for about 3 hours. I substituted fresh-squeezed tangerine juice because I didn't have cider and it was so good, I'd use it again instead. Cooked it in a cast iron skillet so no worries about liquid overflowing and you can just finish the sauce in the skillet, no need to transfer to a pot. Definitely a keeper!

I sliced a fennel bulb and added it to the apples and onion. Delicious complement to the fennel crusted pork.

Has anyone made this in an electric pressure cooker or crock pot? If yes, any tips or cooking time recommendations? Thank you.

Excellent recipe, but worried about possible overflow, I had fine results lowering the temperature to 375. And the best way to pour liquid into sheet pan in the oven is to use a small (clean) gardening can with a long spout.


I made this for Christmas supper and it was absolutely perfect! I bought a 4 pound pork loin and doubled the apples and onions, (AND could have done with even more, everyone scooped them up!)I served with polenta on the side and the reduction was dark and delish.  I did not make the pickled apples and jalepenos NOR did I marinate over night, (should probably have read the recipe before hand!) but did a quick rub & the family was none the wiser. It was easy and all was truly superb.

This was excellent, everyone loved it.  I might use more apples and onions since everyone wanted more of them. 

Made in the crockpot: I doubled the apples per the recommendations and put them in the crock pot. I browned the loin on all sides in a skillet, then removed. Sauted the onions and garlic until soft then deglazed the pan with regular cider (what I had). Threw it all in the crockpot with the broth. I used a probe thermometer to remove at 145 (for a 2.5 lb loin about 2 hours on low), I was busy and took it out at 155 and it was still moist.

 I found I needed more pickling liquid to cover the apples and jalapenos, so I quickly made another batch.

This was delicious. We followed exactly and it came out perfectly. We are enjoying the leftovers tucked into sandwiches with a pineapple/onion salsa my son made this week. 

Made this last night and it was a disaster. 

1. The pickles plus the extra vinegar-y apples/onions is just overkill on Cooking Things With Vinegar. 
2. No matter how many times I checked on it and added more chicken broth/vinegar, a large section of the apples/onions burned in the oven, completely ruining my good pan. 
3. It took way longer than 35-50 minutes. I had to cook it another 15 minutes to get the 135-degree temperature. 
4. Sauce? There was nothing but charred remain on my pan.

I made this without the pickles, and it was delicious! Added an extra half apple because my family likes them. My apples and onions didn’t get brown but they melted into a soft kind of compote. It was delicious atop slices of pork. Will definitely make again! 

I agree re more pickling liquid required, unless you pickle in a wide shallow container.  In order to avoid spills, I purchased a disposable (tho I will reuse) aluminum pan with same footprint as a sheet pan, but about 3 inches deep - I put the sheet pan on top of the aluminum tray to provide stability while moving into and out of oven.

Top 11 hard cider recipes from across the web

The most viewed hard cider recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Poulet à la Normande

Berry Hard Cider Recipe

The Girl on Fireball Cocktail

Pork Chops With Apples and Cider

Wassail

Homemade Hard Cider Recipe

Citra Hopped Hard Cider Recipe

Pear Hard Cider Recipe

Cider-and-Bourbon-Glazed Shallots

Hard Cider From Store Bought Juice

Cider-Roasted Pork Loin With Pickle...

Top 11 hard cider recipes from across the web

The most viewed hard cider recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Poulet à la Normande

Berry Hard Cider Recipe

The Girl on Fireball Cocktail

Pork Chops With Apples and Cider

Wassail

Homemade Hard Cider Recipe

Citra Hopped Hard Cider Recipe

Pear Hard Cider Recipe

Cider-and-Bourbon-Glazed Shallots

Hard Cider From Store Bought Juice

Cider-Roasted Pork Loin With Pickle...

The most viewed hard cider recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine