Season the chicken with dried thyme, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter and sear the chicken on both sides until well browned. Remove the browned chicken from the pan and set it aside.

Add the shallots to pan and sauté for 1 minute. Add the apples and thyme sprigs and sauté for a few more minutes. Deglaze the pan with apple cider and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Whisk the chicken stock, soy sauce and mustard powder together and then add it to the pan. Return the chicken to pan, nestling it in the apples and liquid. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until sauce thickens to a glaze and the chicken is cooked through ( it should register 165ºF on an instant read thermometer). If your liquid evaporates a little too quickly, add a little more chicken stock.

Turn the chicken over in the sauce to completely coat it and then transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Remove the thyme sprigs from the pan and discard. Season the sauce to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spoon the apples over the chicken and drizzle the glaze on top. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and serve immediately.