After checking out a few grocery stores, I finally found turkey thighs. Pretty cheap stuff, about 2.5 pounds for a little more than $4. I also found shallots in bulk at this grocery store so I actually got them instead of substituting onion (usually you can find a box or bag of two shallots that runs for almost $3, but if you can find them in "bulk" it runs maybe $3 a pound - with two very large shallots about 1/4 pound). I also skipped the cider vinegar as I didn't want to buy a bottle just to use 2 teaspoons.
So you start with two very large turkey thighs. The great thing about this recipe is that you don't have to putz around with the meat (trimming fat, cutting it up). You just salt and pepper both sides and you're ready to go.
The turkey goes skin side down in a heavy pot and browns. My pot was a little too small (which becomes a problem later) so it's mostly brown but not so much on the edges.
In the same pot goes the shallots. Shallots, the love-child of garlic and onion, cooked in turkey fat and juices = the wonderful smell of Thanksgiving.
After the shallots have softened in goes four apples. I used two granny smith and two honeycrisp.
After the apples cook a bit, it's time to add the cider and the broth. This is where my pot size became an issue. I tend to overestimate the amount a pot can hold and had to transfer everything to my bigger Le Creuset dutch oven. Let me tell you now, you need one of these pots. They're magic (expensive, but magic). So many uses (it can go straight from the stove to the oven!) and super easy to clean. My parents got me a couple Le Creuset pots and pans at an outlet store somewhere in Minnesota. So shop around and you might be able to find some for cheap(er).
In goes, covered, into a 350 degree oven to cook. It comes out looking like this.
Then it goes back in for 30 minutes uncovered and you get this beauty.
Don't mind the messiness of the plate, I used it to transfer meat around as I didn't want to dirty up a new plate.
Verdict? The turkey was super tasty. Since it was braised in liquid, it was very, very tender (the bone just flew off!) and very, very moist. I don't think it's possible to overcook this meat (which is a problem with poultry). The apples were a different story. They were soft, sweet and kind of meaty. As in they tasted like meat. Turkey with a hint of apple = delicious, apple with hint of meat = weird. As most people do with unfamiliar or unusual things, I shun these apples. (Update: I don't know if the apples and turkey mellowed out or if it was just because I mixed them together, but the apples were better the second time around.) Next time (and there most likely will be a next time) I'll just use the turkey thighs and cider and skip the apples.
Apple-braised turkey thighs
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 turkey thighs (about 2 pounds total)
salt and pepper
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
4 Cortland or Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cored
2 cups apple cider
14.5 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season turkey on both sides with salt and pepper and add to pot, skin side down. Cook until skin is golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer turkey to a plate and add shallots to pot. Cook until shallots soften, about 5 minutes. Add apples and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Return turkey, skin side up, to pot; add cider and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, then place pot in oven. Cook 1 1/2 hours. Uncover; cook 30 minutes more.
3. Remove pot from oven and transfer turkey to a plate. Skim fat from cooking liquid and stir in vinegar. Slice meat off bones (discard bones) and serve turkey with apples and pan sauce.
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