Chicken and cider stew with mashed potatoes and apples

School has started for about 3 weeks now and it has never been so busy-- 8'am classes all around the city with endless seminar quizzes and course final exams. That's one of the reasons why i haven't been cooking much... the 2nd reason is because our kitchen has been occupied EVERY.SINGLE.NIGHT
by kitchen-hogging newbies from different floors who don't seem to have anything else to do (like, studying for example??) but arrange cooking fests and dinner gatherings... leaving me no other choice but to either go all the way down to the 2nd floor or settle for 大同 steamer dinners. I mean, sure, the kitchen is a public area for anyone to use... but do you REALLY have to hog it up for another 2 hours to fool around and eat? The last time I checked, Kitchen does NOT equal Dining room. Kitchen counters does NOT equal Dining table. Especially when we're living in the dorms, 用完 清理乾淨 就快走. 拿回自己房間吃, 方便自己也方便別人. If it was a weekly class dinner/lunch gathering then by all means, go ahead. But seriously, EVERY DAY? Sigh, if people are really too ignorant to think for others, then its time to put them in our shoes. UGHHH.... common sense, people, it's all just common sense. There's new crap to deal with every year... and Yes, I complain. so bite me.

With that off my chest, here's something JLo and I whipped up during our 1st cooking session of the school year... "Chicken and cider stew with mashed potatoes and apples" (oh gosh, name's a bit too long). I got it off the new "Fast Food" cookbook JLo gave me this summer and I've already made a mess with it w/ my tag marks :) Since I don't like chicken breasts, i thought the chicken was so-so. But to my surprise, the combo of potatoes and apples was fantabulous! I've never really liked the savory+sweet type of food (Hawaiian pizza, sweet and sour pork/chicken, 梅子綠茶...etc), but these mashed potatoes were something else :D Hopefully the kitchen'll clear out soon so that I can put this cookbook into good use.


Chicken and cider stew with mashed potatoes and apples
from my Fast Food recipe book
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 3/4 inch cubes.
• 1.5 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1.5 cups apple cider (or apple juice but it won't be as flavorful/tangy)
• 2 lbs. potatoes, cubed
• 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 8 pieces
• 2/3 cup cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and 2 teaspoons o thyme.
2. Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Brown the chicken for 2-3 minutes. Remove.
4. Add the shallots and the remaining thyme to the saucepan and saute for 2 minutes.
5. Pour in the cider, then bring to a boil, scraping off any sediment from the bottom.
6. Return the chicken to the saucepan and cover.
7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced. (check occasionally to see if water needs to be added)
8. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes and apples or 15-20 minutes or until tender.
9. Drain and mash them together.
10. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the cream and the remaining butter, then season well.
11. Stir the remaining cream into the chicken stew and cook for another 2-4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
12. Serve with mashed potatoes, apples, and a crisp green salad.

Chicken and cider stew
with mashed potatoes and apples