Crunchy French Onion Chicken

A peppery, apple-forward cider glaze is the perfect pairing for a succulent roast rack of pork.

ingredient

Pork roast

1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 1/2 teaspoons dried savory (optional)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 large garlic cloves)
1 bone-in 8-rib pork loin roast (about 7 pounds), frenched
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 medium-size yellow onions, coarsely chopped
4 medium shallots, coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Black pepper, to taste

Cider-pepper glaze

1 quart unfiltered apple cider
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 large garlic cloves)
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
5 whole juniper berries, crushed
1 tablespoon black pepper

Additional ingredients

Fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme sprigs, for garnish
Roasted apples, shallots, and sweet potatoes, for serving (optional)

Directions

Place olive oil, rosemary, sage, savory (if using), thyme, and garlic in a large nonreactive baking dish. Add pork, and rub mixture evenly over all sides. Cover and chill at least 8 hours or up to overnight.
Let pork stand, covered, at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting; preheat oven to 325°F during the last 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir together apple cider, chopped apple, vinegar, honey, garlic, thyme, mustard seeds, and juniper berries in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until apple is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl, discarding solids. Return mixture to saucepan, and add pepper. Cook over high, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1 cup, 25 to 30 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high. Remove pork from marinade; pat dry with paper towels, being careful not to wipe off marinade. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Add pork to skillet, fat side down, and cook, turning once, until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Place pork, fat side up, in a large roasting pan, discarding fat in skillet. Set skillet aside; do not wipe clean.
Scatter onions and shallots around pork in roasting pan. Roast at 325°F for 40 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 350°F, and continue roasting for 15 minutes. Brush pork with all of the cider-pepper glaze. Continue roasting, basting pork with pan drippings every 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest portion of pork registers 140°F, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, add chicken stock to reserved skillet. Cook over high, stirring occasionally to scrape up any browned bits, until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Skim off any fat; discard. Set aside.
Transfer pork to a carving board, reserving drippings in roasting pan. Cover pork with aluminum foil; let rest 30 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise to 145°F.) Pour drippings from roasting pan through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl; discard shallot and onion. Skim off fat; discard. (Do not wipe roasting pan clean.)
Place roasting pan over 2 burners over high; add reduced chicken stock and strained drippings. Bring to a boil, stirring often to scrape up any browned bits. Pour stock mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a small saucepan; discard solids. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Stir together softened butter and flour in a small bowl to make a smooth paste. Whisk paste into stock mixture, and boil, whisking constantly, until gravy has thickened and is reduced to about 2 cups, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour gravy into a sauce boat or bowl for serving.
Carve pork; arrange chops on a large platter. Garnish with herb sprigs. Serve with gravy and roasted apples, shallots, and sweet potatoes, if desired.