Chicken Normandy

© 2025 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

© 2025 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

A hearty French casserole that is perfect for a late-summer or fall weeknight meal. Normandy is a region in Northern France noted for its dairy, pastires and signature fruit – apple. So, rather than cooking chicken in chicken broth like many typical one-pot chicken meals, we used Calvados and apple cider for the recipe. If you don’t have Calvados at hand, just use regular brandy. For Chicken Normandy, firm, tart apples that can hold their shape during cooking are the best. I used Boskoop, but Braeburn, Granny Smith or Pink Lady are equally great.

 

Chicken Normandy

adapted from Olive Magazine

2 tbsp Chicken schmaltz or olive oil 4 Chicken legs Salt and black pepper 200 g Bacon lardons 2 Yellow onions, peeled and chopped  2 Garlic cloves, crushed  3 tbsp Calvados apple brandy 500 ml Apple cider 3-4 Thyme sprigs 1 Large apple, peeled and cut into wedges 2 tbsp Butter 150 g Crème fraîche 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Heat chicken schmaltz in a large oven-safe pan, preferably with a lid. Season the chicken legs and brown in batches on all sides until golden and crisp, then remove.
2. Add the bacon lardons and fry until some of the fat has been released, then add the onions. Cook until translucent, then add the garlic and fry for another minute.
3. Deglaze the pan with Calvados and cook until half of it has evaporated, then add apple cider, thyme sprigs and let it bubble for 5 minutes. Return the chicken legs to the pan. Cover with a lid or foil, transfer to the oven for 35-40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the apple. Peel, quarter, remove seeds and cut each into 3 wedges. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, add the apple wedges in one layer and fry them until golden brown, flipping a few times. Once cooked on both sides, remove apple slices and set them aside.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer them onto a plate. Stir the crème fraîche and Dijon mustard into the sauce. Mix well and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Add fried apples and chicken back to the pan. Serve with crusty bread or over some mashed potato.

© 2025 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com