I'm a big fan of crowd-pleasing holiday meals that don't require carving a whole bird. Translation: Less time spent in the kitchen with hungry guests and more time sharing memories at the dinner table. During Christmastime in the Batali household, I look no further than braised chicken with sauteed apples and prosecco, which can be largely prepped ahead of time and offers up leftover prosecco for the cook.

Perhaps what I love most about this dish is that it requires you to break down the chicken. I've demystified this process several times on "The Chew" in the hopes that I can get more people to experience the often neglected but most delicious sections of the chicken, like the back. Trust me on this: Invest in a pair of shears and a sharp knife and you'll feel like a real pro once you've mastered this essential cooking skill.

By browning the pieces of chicken on high heat, tiny bits of the skin get stuck to the pan, creating a rich base for the carrots and onions that tenderize with the chicken. The prosecco gives this recipe an appropriate festive touch and adds a delicate acidity and delightful fruity sweetness to the final dish. That dulcet tone is echoed in the caramel-like flavor of the apples in their sweet-and-sour broth. Garnish with my poppy seed-studded apple mixture for the most succulent piece of chicken you have ever tasted.

Braised Chicken with Sauteed Apples and Prosecco

Serves 4

For the chicken:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 (3 1/2 pound) broiler chicken, cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry

Kosher salt

1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup raisins

2 cups prosecco or any dry white wine

For the apples:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 Ginger Gold apples, or another tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

2 cloves garlic, grated on a Microplane

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

To assemble:

1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Make the chicken

In a 10- to 12-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil over high heat until very hot but not smoking. Season the chicken with salt and place it in the pan, skin side down. Brown the chicken on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes per side, and transfer the pieces to a plate as they are finished.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and carrots, and cook, stirring, until deep golden brown. Add the raisins to the pan and stir well. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, cover, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Make the apples

In a 12-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the apples and garlic and cook, quickly stirring and shaking the pan continuously, until the apples have just softened and are nicely browned.

Add the vinegar and sugar and cook, tossing continuously, until the mixture has reduced to syrup. Remove from the heat and set aside in a warm place. Stir in the chives and the poppy seeds.

Assemble the dish

Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and stir the parsley into the liquid remaining in the pan. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the apples, spooned over each piece tableside.

(Mario Batali is the chef behind 25 restaurants, including Eataly, Del Posto and his flagship Greenwich Village enoteca, Babbo.)