Maple Syrup Broilers

This is old-school Quebecois farmhouse cooking: young chicken quarters browned golden in butter, layered in a casserole with caramelized onions, drizzled with maple syrup, and baked uncovered until the skin lacquers into something sticky and deeply flavored.

The maple syrup and apple cider work together here. The syrup caramelizes on the chicken as it bakes, while the cider from the pan deglazing steams up around it, keeping the meat moist and adding a tart, fruity backbone to the sweetness.

A pinch of aniseed and savory are the quiet herbs that give this dish its distinctly French-Canadian identity. Aniseed adds a faint licorice warmth, and savory (a classic Quebecois herb) brings a peppery, thyme-like earthiness. They’re subtle, but they’re what separates this from ordinary maple chicken.

Baking uncovered is deliberate. You want the top to glaze and the onions to brown rather than steam. The cider and pan juices reduce into a concentrated sauce at the bottom of the casserole.

Chef Tips

• Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. The flavor difference is enormous and this recipe depends on it.
• Brown the chicken thoroughly before transferring to the casserole. That fond on the bottom of the skillet is flavor gold when deglazed with cider.
• Slice the onions thin so they melt down into the sauce during baking.
• Baste once or twice during baking to build up the maple glaze.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the cider deglazing liquid for a sharper sauce.
• Use bone-in chicken thighs if you can’t find whole broilers.
• Swap apple cider for hard cider for a drier, more complex sauce.