Active Time

　　1 hour

　　Total Time

　　1 hour

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

　　

For stuffing

1 Granny Smith apple

　　3 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　1 teaspoon caraway seeds

　　1 medium onion, chopped

　　1 1/2 celery ribs, sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick

　　1/2 cup coarse fresh rye bread crumbs (with or without seeds)

　　1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

　　3 tablespoons dried currants

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon black pepper

　　

For chicken and pan sauce

6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (2 lb)

　　1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

　　1 cup unfiltered apple cider

　　1 cup chicken broth

　　

Make stuffing:

Step 1

Peel and core apple and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté caraway seeds, stirring, 1 minute. Add onion and sauté, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add apple and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining stuffing ingredients. Cool stuffing completely.

　　

Stuff chicken:

Step 2

Preheat oven to 425°F.

　　

Step 3

Pat chicken dry and arrange, skinned sides down, on a work surface. Remove tender (fillet strip on side where breast bone was) from each breast half if attached and reserve for another use.

　　

Cut a pocket in each breast half:

Step 4

Beginning at center of thicker end of breast, insert a small knife horizontally, stopping about 1 inch from opposite end. Open incision with your fingers to create a 1-inch-wide pocket. Pack one sixth of stuffing into each pocket.

　　

Cook chicken:

Step 5

Pat chicken dry and season with salt. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken in 2 batches, about 2 minutes on each side, transferring to a small roasting pan as browned (reserve skillet).

　　

Step 6

Roast chicken in middle of oven until just cooked through, 14 to 16 minutes.

　　

Step 7

While chicken is roasting, stir flour into fat remaining in skillet and cook roux over moderately low heat, stirring, 1 minute. Whisk in cider and broth and bring to a boil, whisking, then boil, whisking occasionally, until thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, about 8 minutes.

　　

Step 8

Let chicken stand 5 minutes, then cut each breast half diagonally into thirds. Add any juices from roasting pan and salt and pepper to taste to sauce and spoon over chicken.