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Poulet à la Normande (Normandy Chicken)

This luscious traditional northern French chicken dish, made with apples, apple cider and brandy, is a perfect autumnal meal.
Course Main Course, Poultry
Cuisine French
Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 2 apples, cored and sliced into wedges (see Kitchen Notes)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil
  • 4 ounces thick cut bacon cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (or lardons)
  • 3 to 4 medium shallots, peeled and chopped (or 1 large onion)
  • 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 cup brandy (or Calvados apple brandy)
  • 2 cups apple cider (see Kitchen Notes)
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (you can also use crème fraîche)
  • chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
  • cooked white rice (or crusty French bread, for soaking up the sauce)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF. Melt butter in a large, lidded, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the apple slices until slightly browned, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or so. Transfer to a bowl.
  • While apples are cooking, season chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Using the same pan, add a little olive oil if needed, then cook chicken skin side down until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Work in 2 batches, if needed, to avoid crowding in the pan.
  • Add bacon to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add shallots and celery to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. This will help thicken the sauce later.
  • REMOVE PAN FROM HEAT and add the brandy (especially if cooking with gas—the brandy could ignite into an impressively frightening blaze otherwise). Add cider and return the pan to medium heat. Season lightly with salt and pepper and bring to lightly bubbling, scraping up any browned bits. Return the chicken to the pan skin side up, along with any accumulated juices. Tuck the thyme sprigs (or sprinkle in the dried thyme) and bay leaf around the chicken. Cover the pan and place in the oven.
  • Bake the chicken for 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven, being careful of the hot handle (speaking from experience). Transfer chicken to a plate and stir sour cream into the sauce until thoroughly combined, warming over medium heat. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if needed. Add the apples to the pan and return chicken pieces. Cook until warmed through.
  • Serve chicken thighs with some apple slices and sauce over white rice, if using. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if using. You can also serve with some crusty bread.

Kitchen Notes

Pick your apples. You want apples that will stand up to cooking without falling apart. We used Wild Twist, but Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples will all work. Some recipes call for peeling the apples, but we think the skin adds a nice visual touch.
Apple cider, not juice. You want nice, cloudy cider, made from pressing fresh apples. It will be less sweet than apple juice, for one thing, and will add more body to the sauce. Since it’s not pasteurized, do consume any leftover cider while it’s still fresh. Or maybe make this dish again—it is that good.