Stock-and-Cider-Brined Chicken Over Stuffing

To call this a "one-pan" recipe is *really* stretching the meaning of that phrase. Yes, it cooks together in one pan, but...

These directions are confusing! I have read them three times. They need editing. Step 4 begins with the phrase...To Cook the Chicken: but it is not about cooking the chicken at all! Step 5 has you putting bread cubes, vegetables and liquid into a bowl, but does not mention you have just been directed to put vegetables and liquid into the pan, and bring them to a boil... Why are we removing them from the pan at all? Why not just add the bread and butter to the pan, then the chicken and roast?

Question: you mean hard (alcoholic) cider or the (sweet) juice?

The meat juices in the marinade will cook just the same way the chicken in the pan is cooking, for almost an hour. So even if you don't boil the marinade first, you'd be just fine.

I grew up eating a version of this dish without the cider and prunes and am going to try your version. Making stuffing and putting chicken pieces on top was a delicious and easy way to make a meal for a lot of people. The vegetables you chose are a good counter taste to the other ingredients. I like that you put prunes in which I can see would get a nice tangy sweetness. Thanks for new twists on one of my favorite grandmother meals. I think it can only be cooked in cast iron.

This recipe contains a significant amount of saturated fat. Has anyone tried bone-in skinless chicken breast (perhaps cut breasts in half of too large)?

I followed this recipe to a T and it was very satisfying. Just as the author described, “the bread had absorbed the stock and turned into a chewy, savory nest cradling the tender, perfectly browned chicken”. To commenters who say things like “my whole family hated it” or “it was the worst dinner I’ve ever made” there is a person behind the creation of this dish. I don’t know, just seems a little harsh. Not every recipe is for every person.

The confusing directions notwithstanding, this was delicious. Not a one-pan meal, but really easy to make, even if you have to let some things sit overnight. A couple quick thoughts: 1. I pulled the dish out after 45 minutes, and the chicken was reading 195 degrees. Luckily, it wasn’t over-cooked. I’d start checking at 35 minutes. 2. You might want to crisp up the stuffing that was under the chicken by taking the chicken off and giving the stuffing five minutes by itself.

Step one of this recipe calls for cooling cooked veggies in a bag in the freezer. This is unwise. It partially thaws whatever it comes in contact with it. I realize this is an occasional thing, but such breezy slights can degrade the flavors of the things partially thawed. Put the bag of hot veggies in a bowl of ice. This doesn't thaw freezer's other contents.

To me, one of the underlying thoughts of a one-pan recipe is the ease of prep work and almost a one-step cooking technique. What's memorable about this recipe is how complicated and time consuming it is. The amount of cookware necessary to prep, cook and clean up is formidable: 1. 10" cast iron skillet 2. plate for cooling 3. baking sheet 4. large measuring cup 5. container for remaining stock-cider 6. pan to cook the chicken in 7. large bowl 8. rimmed baking sheet Hardly a one-pan recipe!

To make the brine, you follow step one, then it continues in step three. Cook veggies with pepper and part of the salt, then cool veggies. Once veggies are cool, mix cider and stock, then put half of cider/stock mixture into a zip top bag with cooked veggies, remaining salt, prunes, vinegar, and chicken. That is the brine. After you brine chicken, you remove chicken, then boil brine/veggie mixture with reserved cider/stock mixture, then make the stuffing base.

Don’t put anything that’s hot off the stove into your freezer unless you want the other stuff in there to thaw.

Jeannie, you are correct. Perhaps I could suggest an alternative recipe. Put everything in a zip lock bag (except the bread) over night in the refrigerator. Remove chicken and set it aside, put vegetables and brine in a cast iron skillet, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes. Add bread cubes to hot skillet with cooked vegetables. Put chicken on top, pop skillet in the oven at 350 F for 55 minutes minutes. I have made something very similar to this over the years, minus the prunes.

...and why combine stock and cider in a large measuring cup rather than adding 3/4 cup of each to the ziplock bag?

This is one of the best recipes I’ve ever made. No, it’s not quite one pan, but it’s worth the extra steps. Nothing about the recipe is difficult, just takes a bit of time. The flavors melded beautifully, the chicken was great, and the bread got kind of caramelized while cooking. I don’t have much room in the freezer, so I just let the veggies cool for a bit before putting into the marinade. I might use some precooked greens the next time, but didn’t think that far ahead. So good!