Baked chicken with Bramley apple glaze

This baked chicken with Bramley apple glaze, courtesy of chef Phil Vickery, is a simple-to-make, yet delicious way of cooking chicken. It can be made well in advance, and cooked at the last moment.  If you can leave the chicken to marinate overnight then all the better.

This method works very well with monkfish and also salmon, eaten hot straight from the oven or left to cool and eaten as a cold supper or lunch dish.

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 corn-fed, free-range chicken breasts, medium, skin removed

2tsp black peppercorns

½tsp ground allspice

1tsp dried oregano

½tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground cinnamon

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

175ml orange juice

2 small Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces.

3tsp honey

2tbsp olive oil

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C, Gas Mark 7.

Using a rolling pin crush the black peppercorns, place these along with the spices, oregano and garlic into a bowl large enough to take the chicken breasts and mix well.

Add the orange juice, olive oil and honey and mix well.

Add the chicken, coat in the marinade and then leave for 10 minutes. Drain and then place the chicken into a baking tray; bake in the preheated oven for 20 -25 minutes.  The chicken must be cooked and juicy, but not overcooked, dry and stringy.

Meanwhile pop the marinade into a saucepan and cook over a gentle heat until thick and syrupy. Add the apples just at the end to cook through, but not break up completely

Cut each chicken breast into three and drizzle over the reduced glaze.

Serve with plain boiled rice or mashed potatoes with a few spring onions stirred through at the last moment.

Recipe courtesy of Phil Vickery for bramleyapples.co.uk