無水煮蘋果雞配焦糖蘋果醬 Braised apple and chicken with caramelized apple sauce

用蘋果配雞一起焗不是什麼新菜式。通常會用原隻雪雞把蘋果塞進肚, 部分放在雞上。這樣焗，味道很足夠但雞肉變得粗糙。

剛好購入一隻廣東四大名雞之沙欄雞(冰鮮)。它出產於中山石岐，現經由港人打理。採用日本飼養技術。賣點是吃天然飼料，不打針，不用激素的走地雞。肉質鮮嫩而雞味濃出名。我經常買沙欄雞。細細隻，有嚼口但嫩滑。最重要是少油脂。

想煮蘋果雞又想保持肉質鮮嫩, 我嘗試無水煮waterless cooking。時間縮短，用餘溫焗熟。雞相對是嫩滑。加埋吸收了雞味的蘋果蓉跟黄糖煮成的醬一起吃。味道剛好。。少少煙燻味，少少酸，少少甜..還有少少辣。層次很豐富呢！

村料/調味: 青蘋果3個，紅蘋果1-2個，雞切四件。鹽，smoke paprika(煙燻甜椒粉)，cayenne pepper(辣椒粉)，white wine vinegar(白洒醋)，黄糖

Ingredients:  Granny Smith apples x 3, gala apple 1-2, chicken, cut into 4pcs, salt, brown sugar, smoke paprika, cayenne pepper, white  wine vinegar

雞先用香菇粉/雞粉，鹽，smoke paprika 1/2 tbs, cayenne pepper少少醃半天或以上->用一隻能鎖水的鐵煲->用橄欖油煎香兩面->灑少許鹽和少許smoke paprika

marinate chicken with salt, chicken powder or mushroom powder, a bit smoke paprika and cayenne pepper for more than 1/2 day-> prepare a cast iron pot-> saute chicken with olive oil until golden brown-> sprinkle with salt and some more smoke paprika

蘋果切角，預留約一個備用

cut the apples in wedges, reserve one apple

用橄欖油略炒蘋果-> 灑少許糖，鹽-> 把雞件放上->蓋上->最細火煮5分鐘

saute apples with olive oil-> sprinkle with salt and sugar-> place chicken on top-> cook 5 mins in low heat with lid covered

約5分鐘或蘋果煮成蓉-> 把剩餘一個蘋果放上->繼續細火煮5分鐘-> 熄火-> 多焗15分鐘

after 5mins or until apples are dissolved-> add the remaining apple wedges-> cover-> continue to cook for 5mins-> off heat-> keep chicken in the pot for further 15mins

把雞及第二次落的蘋果取出-> 雞油也不要-> 加入2湯匙黄糖和約1湯匙white wine vinegar(酸甜度跟個人口味)，少許鹽，少許smoke paprika 和cayenne pepper-> 中大火，煮至焦糖杰身-> 定時攪拌

take out chicken and 2nd batch apples-> discard chicken fat-> add 2 tbs brown sugar, 1tbs white wine vinegar, a bit salt, cayenne pepper and smoke paprika-> cook the apple puree until caramelized and thick-> stir constantly

上碟後多加少許橄欖油

add extra virgin olive oil when serve

Tips:

1. 雞有大細，不同煲也影響煮食時間。約5-8分鐘，可用筷子插入雞肶位，沒有血水流出便可加入剩餘蘋果，繼續煮。

2. smoke paprika跟蘋果很夾，沒有smoke  paprika，可用sweet paprika。

3. 喜歡蘋果味濃一點，红蘋果對青蘋果比例為3:1 /3:2。

Tips:

1. As size of chicken and cast iron pot are different, just adjust the time from 5 to 8mins or until no more discharge came out from the chicken thigh after pricking with a chopstick.

2. Replace smoke paprika to sweet paprika if no stock.

3. For sweetness flavour, just change the ratio of gala apples from 1 to 3 whereas Granny Smith apples decreased to 1 or 2.