Roast chicken with
apples and grapes
 

Roast chicken with apples and grapes originates from Asturias in northern Spain.  An apple inside the cavity, gives the chicken a fruity aroma and freshly grape juice gives it a caramelized glaze.

Preparation Time             20  Mins

Cooking Time               1.25  Hr

Elapsed Time                 1.5  Hrs

Ingredients

For     6  portions

5                    Apples  - eating       

½                   Lemon  - juice of      

1 kg                Grapes  - white seedless         

1                    Chicken     

                      Pepper      

                      Salt          

3 tbs               Olive oil    

Method

Peel and core the apples.  Cut one in half and the rest into 6 slices each.  Place them into a bowl of water acidulated with the lemon juice to prevent them from discolouring.

Blend half of the grapes in the food processor and collect the juice by pressing the mush through a small-holed sieve.  Discard the skins left in the sieve.  There should be about 250 ml of juice.

Stuff the chicken with the halved apple and put it in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and rub with 1 tablespoon of the oil.  Turn the bird breast side down and pour over half of the grape juice.  Roast in an oven preheated to 190°C for 45 minutes   Then turn over the chicken, pour on the remaining grape juice and return it to the oven.  Cook for another 30 minutes or until the chicken is brown and caramelized and the juices run clear when an incision is made into the thigh.

While the chicken is roasting, heat the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan.  Put in the drained apple slices and the remaining grapes and sauté over a medium heat, turning over the fruits and shaking the pan gently until the grapes are soft and golden and the apples tender and caramelized.  It will take about 20 minutes.  Transfer to the baking dish containing the chicken with their juices.

Serve from the baking dish.

Wine recommendations

Conventional

          Côtes de Gascogne rouge

Interesting

          Beaujolais Villages

          Côte Chalonnaise rouge or blanc

          Irouleguy

          Lirac