Description
Creamy Normandy Chicken whisks home cooks through classic French culinary traditions with tender chicken bathed in a rich apple brandy sauce. Elegant ingredients blend seamlessly, promising a delightful dining experience you’ll savor down to the last luxurious bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 6 chicken legs
- 200 grams (7 ounces) bacon lardons
- 500 milliliters (2 cups) dry cider
- 150 milliliters (2/3 cup) chicken stock
- 150 milliliters (2/3 cup) creme fraiche
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
Seasonings and Cooking Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Prepare a preheated oven at 180°C (fan 160°C) for optimal cooking environment.
- Generously season chicken legs with salt and pepper, then sear in hot olive oil until golden brown on all sides, creating a rich caramelized exterior.
- Transfer browned chicken to a separate plate, leaving flavorful drippings in the pan.
- Sauté chopped bacon, diced onions, sliced celery, and minced garlic in the same pan until vegetables become translucent and fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetable mixture, stirring continuously for one minute to cook out raw flour taste and create a thickening base.
- Gradually pour in cider and chicken stock, whisking constantly to prevent lumps and create a smooth liquid sauce.
- Add fresh thyme and bay leaves to infuse aromatic herbs into the developing sauce.
- Return chicken legs to the pan, nestling them into the liquid to ensure even cooking.
- Cover and transfer to preheated oven, allowing chicken to braise for 40 minutes until tender and fully cooked.
- Remove chicken from the pan and place on a serving platter.
- Stir creme fraiche into the sauce, simmering gently to create a luxurious, creamy consistency.
- Pour the enriched sauce over the chicken and serve immediately with creamy mashed potatoes, pasta, or crusty artisan bread.
Notes
- Choose bone-in chicken legs for richer flavor and juicier meat that stays tender during slow cooking.
- Control sauce thickness by adjusting flour quantity and simmering time to achieve desired consistency.
- Swap regular cider with alcohol-free version for a family-friendly recipe that maintains delicious apple undertones.
- Enhance dish’s nutrition by adding extra vegetables like mushrooms or carrots during the onion and celery sautéing stage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 463 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg