Chicken Normandy (Poulet à la Normande)
Golden chicken thighs braised in dry cider with apples, bacon and cream. A French classic from Normandy, made in one pan – and no Calvados required!
Servings: 4
Calories: 793kcal
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breasts , or see note 1
- 5 tbsp cornstarch (= cornflour), for dredging, or see note 2
- salt and pepper , a few turns of the mill
- 3 medium apples , peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice , for the apples
- 6 strips streaky bacon or pancetta, sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion , sliced
- 1 rib celery finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ cups (360ml) hard cider
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) chicken stock
- 3 tsp cornstarch (cornflour), for the slurry
- ½ cup (120ml) pouring cream (= single cream), or see note 3
- thyme leaves , to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and place a rack in the middle.
- Pat the chicken dry using paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Spread the cornstarch on a shallow plate and dredge the chicken so it is covered on both sides, shaking off the excess.4 large chicken breasts, 5 tbsp cornstarch, salt and pepper
- Place the apples in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice to prevent them from browning.3 medium apples, 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet and pan fry the bacon over high heat until it starts to render its fat and crisp at the edges. Use a slotted spoon to set aside in a bowl. Lower the heat to medium-low.2 tbsp olive oil, 6 strips streaky bacon
- Add a tablespoon of the butter and the apple slices to the pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes until golden and a little softer – they should still retain some bite. Set aside.2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Stir in the remaining butter and oil and turn the heat back to medium-high. Pan fry the chicken, skin side down, for 5-6 minutes until the skin is beautifully golden and crisp. Flip over and cook for 3-4 minutes on the other side, then set aside with the bacon.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add a splash of the cider to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until reduced.1 ½ cups (360ml) hard cider
- Add a splash more oil to the pan if needed and sauté the onion and celery for 5 minutes, sprinkling with the salt, pepper and thyme leaves.1 large onion, 1 rib celery
- Stir in the minced garlic and mustard and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, ½ tsp salt, 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp ground black pepper
- Pour in the remaining cider, increase the heat and cook until reduced by half and the alcohol has burned off.
- Add the chicken stock and reduce to a simmer. Return the bacon and chicken to the pan, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 25-30 minutes, or continue to simmer on the stove.1 ¼ cups (300ml) chicken stock
- Dilute the cornstarch in a little cold water to make a slurry. Add to the pan if the sauce needs thickening (it may not).3 tsp cornstarch
- Stir in the cream over low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.½ cup (120ml) pouring cream
- Add the apples, garnish with fresh thyme and serve.thyme leaves
Notes
- Note 1: You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs, chicken leg quarters or chicken breasts. Reduce the cooking time slightly if cooking chicken breasts.
- Note 2: Instead of cornstarch, you can use 2 tablespoons of flour to make a roux. Stir into the pan after step 9. Gradually pour in the cider, stirring constantly to incorporate the flour, and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the stock and proceed with the recipe.
- Note 3: You can use crème fraîche or sour cream instead of cream if preferred.
- Note 4: If your skillet is not ovenproof, keep the pan at a gentle simmer on the stove for 25-30 minutes instead.
- Fridge – leftovers keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of stock or milk if the sauce has thickened too much.
- Freezing – I do not recommend freezing this once the cream is in, as cream sauces tend to split on thawing. If you want to prep this in advance, cook up to the end of the braise, then let it cool and freeze at that point. Defrost it when you're ready to serve, reheat and stir in the cream and apples before serving. The whole dish can also be made a few hours in advance up to the cream stage and gently reheated, adding the cream and apples just before you serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 793kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 56g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 217mg | Sodium: 924mg | Potassium: 1267mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 765IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg
