Autumn Chicken with Dijon Cider Sauce (or Pork Chops)

This would also be great with boneless pork chops.


Sauce:
2  cups  apple cider (or juice)
1-1/2  cups  milk
2  Tbs  cornstarch
2  Tbs  Dijon mustard
1/4  tsp  salt
1/4  tsp  black pepper
1/8  tsp  ground red pepper


Apples:
2  Tbs  butter
2  large  apples, unpeeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch thick rings


Chicken:
3  Tbs  butter
1/3  cup  flour
3/4  tsp  salt
1/2  tsp  ground black pepper
6  boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1  Tbs  dry sherry or apple cider

To make sauce, bring cider to boil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook 15 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Transfer to a cup and let cool. In same saucepan, add all but 2 Tbs of the milk. In a cup dissolve cornstarch the in the 2 reserved tablespoons of milk; add to pan. Stir in mustard, salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat 3-5 minutes or until it begins to thicken. Stir in cooled reduced cider. Cook and stir until bubbly. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make apples, preheat oven to 200°. Melt butter in large skillet. Add apples and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes per side or just until tender. Transfer to oven safe platter and put in oven to keep warm. Leave butter in skillet, adding the 3 Tbs additional butter for cooking the
chicken.

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Pound chicken to 1/2-inch thickness (put between two pieces of plastic wrap and use a mallet). Dredge in flour mixture and shake off any excess flour mixture. Place chicken in skillet that has the butter in it. Cook over medium high 5
minutes or so, per side. Transfer to apple platter and keep warm in oven.

Add sherry or apple cider to skillet; deglaze. Try to scrape all the brown bits up if you can. Cook and stir over medium heat for 1 minute. Add cider sauce and cook until heated through. Place chicken and apples on plates and top with cider sauce.