To save his family farm, Steve Wood of Poverty Lane Orchards in Lebanon, New Hampshire (www.povertylaneorchards.com), with his wife, Louisa Spencer, decided to develop a line of hard (or aged) ciders. He traveled to England and France studying the varieties of apples that have been used for generations to make this beverage that dates back in the U.S. to colonial American times. Today Farnum Hill Ciders (www.farnumhillciders.com)  produces semi-dry and extra dry bubbly and semi-dry and extra dry still varieties. I prefer the still varieties for this recipe which has been used to showcase the ciders around the state.

3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
1 3-4 pound chicken, quartered
2 large shallots, chopped
1/2 pound shitake mushrooms, ends removed and thinly sliced (1 cup)
3 cups aged cider
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat the butter and oil in an ovenproof skillet until a drop of water sizzles. Beginning with skinside, brown both sides of the chicken quarters well. Remove to a platter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the skillet and sauté the shallots and mushrooms until mushrooms begin to brown. Return the chicken to the pan, add the cider and thyme leaves, and bring to a boil. Bake uncovered in oven for 1 hour basting every 15 minutes. The chicken will begin to fall off the bone when done.

Four servings

Credit: New Hampshire: From Farm to Kitchen by Helen Brody