SRC: Chicken with Pecan-Cider Gravy

My partner for this month's Secret Recipe Club was Lesa of Edesia's Notebook.  I had no trouble picking the perfect recipe to cook from her blog -- right on her front page was a chicken dish with pecan-cider gravy, and I was instantly sold! This is the perfect autumn dish -- warm, nutty, and apple-y!  This is such a great use of apple cider. I would never have thought to use cider in a gravy, but it's fantastic.  If you skip the pecans, it would also be awesome on mashed potatoes.  Here, it makes boring chicken cutlets instantly delicious!  Lesa suggested brown rice on the side, and I agree -- the nutty flavor goes really well with the pecans in the gravy.  Add some roasted veggies (here, I used carrots, zucchini, and potatoes) and you've got the perfect meal to warm up a chilly fall evening.

Chicken with Pecan-Cider Gravy (adapted from Edesia's Notebook, original recipe here)

Serves 3-4

3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 T olive oil
About 1 pound chicken breast cutlets
Salt and pepper
1 T butter
2 T flour
1/2 cup apple cider
1 cup chicken stock
1 dried bay leaf

1. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add the pecans and toast until fragrant.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering.  Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook until nicely browned and cooked through -- mine needed just a few minutes on each side, but go by how thick your chicken cutlets are (mine were quite thin).  You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your chicken.
3. When the chicken is cooked through, remove to a plate and cover with foil. Set aside.
4. In the same skillet, melt the butter,  Whisk in the flour, and cook for a minute.  Slowly whisk in the cider, followed by the chicken stock.  Add the bay leaf.
5. Bring the gravy to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened (8-10 mintues or so).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Fish out the bay leaf and discard.
6. When the gravy has thickened to your liking, stir in the reserved pecans.  Serve over the chicken cutlets.

An InLinkz Link-up