Poulet à la Normande

Poulet à la Normande is the emblematic dish of France's Normandy region, a coastal land of apple orchards, dairy farms, and Calvados distilleries. The region's three great products — cream, cider, and apple brandy — unite in this braise to create a sauce of almost impossible richness, coating a golden-seared chicken with a sauce that is simultaneously sharp, fruity, and luxuriously silky.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 chicken, about 1.8 kg (4 lb), cut into 8 pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp (30ml) unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp (15ml) vegetable oil
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 80ml (⅓ cup) Calvados (apple brandy)
• 300ml (1¼ cups) dry Norman cider (or dry sparkling cider)
• 200ml (¾ cup) chicken stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 200ml (¾ cup) crème fraîche or heavy cream
• 2 eating apples (Reinette or Cox), peeled, cored, sliced into wedges
• 1 tbsp (15g) extra butter, for the apples
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve

Instructions

1. Pat chicken pieces dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Heat butter and oil in a large heavy casserole (Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Brown chicken pieces in batches, 4-5 minutes per side, until deep golden. Set aside.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots and garlic to the pot; soften 3-4 minutes, scraping up browned bits.
4. Add Calvados and carefully ignite with a long match to flambé, or allow it to reduce 1 minute without flaming. Add cider and stock; return chicken pieces (legs and thighs first). Add thyme and bay leaf.
5. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise over low heat 30-35 minutes until chicken is cooked through (thighs may need slightly longer than breasts — remove breasts at 20-25 minutes if needed).
6. Meanwhile, sauté apple wedges in butter in a skillet over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes until golden and just tender. Reserve.
7. Transfer chicken to a warm platter. Discard herbs. Simmer braising liquid uncovered 5 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in crème fraîche and simmer 3-4 minutes until sauce coats a spoon; season to taste.
8. Return chicken to sauce to warm through. Arrange apple wedges around the chicken and scatter parsley over. Serve with steamed rice or buttered egg noodles.

Cook's Notes: Authentic Calvados from the Pays d'Auge appellation gives the deepest flavour — substitute pommeau or a mix of apple juice and brandy if unavailable. Do not boil the sauce once cream is added or it may split. Leftovers reheat beautifully the following day when the sauce has deepened further.