chicken with apple and pomegranate stuffing

* adapted from a 'gourmet entertains 2002' recipe

For stuffing
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1/2 celery rib, sliced crosswise 1/8 inch thick
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1/2 cup apple butter
1/8 cup coarse bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
pinch salt
1/8 teaspoon (or more, if desired) coarsely ground black pepper

For chicken and sauce
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unfiltered apple cider
1/2 cup chicken broth

directions:
1. Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté caraway seeds, stirring for 1 minute. Add onion and sauté, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add pomegranate seeds and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add apple butter and warm through, stirring for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in remaining stuffing ingredients. Cool stuffing completely.

2. Preheat oven to 425°F.

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.

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 half of stuffing into each pocket.

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).

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

7. 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. Serve with long grain rice, flavoured with cinnamon, raisins and cranberries.

notes: