Apple-braised chicken

8:40pm: Apple braised chicken, the first of the recipes I mentioned in my Amazon Fresh post, was described as "quick." And the instructions are simple, requiring only one pot and a few steps: pan-fry chicken to crisp the skin, remove from pot; saute shallots; add apples; return chicken to pot and bake.

An hour and a half after starting the process, however, the pot still has 20 minutes of braising. Not "quick." I check the recipe to see if I misread that word. At lease everything smells appley and chickeny and delicious, even through my heavy dutch oven lid and sturdy Viking oven door. :)

9:03pm: Opening my pot of braising chicken thighs reveals thoroughly disintegrated apples -- not the the perfectly soft, roasted wedges I had been promised. Unfortunate, but I think it's salvageable.

I let everything continue as instructed for the remaining 20 minutes, with the lid off, then remove the chicken and attempt to reduce the slushy apple/cider/chicken liquid mixture to something like applesauce. Or gravy? Something edible.

9:32pm: I added mashed potatoes to the menu, in place of the now-absent apple wedges. The chicken/apple slush reduced very quickly on the stove, and I think will work as a sauce of sorts. The chicken, fortunately, looks perfect.