Baked Chicken with Bramley Apples and Orange Glaze

This is a simple but very tasty 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
Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Serves: 4

4 corn fed, free range chicken breasts, medium, skin removed, 2 tsp black peppercorns, ½ tsp ground allspice, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed, 175mls orange juice, 2 small Bramley apples, peeled, cored and cut into small pieces, 3 tsp honey, 2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation
1. Heat the oven to 220°C, Gas Mark 7.

2. 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.

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

4. Add the chicken, coat in the marinade and then leave for 10 minutes.

5. Drain and then place the chicken into a baking tray; bake in the pre heated oven for 20 -25 minutes. The chicken must be cooked and juicy, but not overcooked, dry and stringy.

6. 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

7. Cut each chicken breast into 3 and drizzle over the reduced glaze.

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

Copyright Phil Vickery