Chicken Normandy Recipe

The Normandy region of France is known for both apples and brandy, according to Jessica Morone, the recipe developer who brought us this recipe for poulet à la Normande, or chicken Normandy, as it's known in the English language. A simple yet extraordinarily flavorful braise, chicken Normandy juxtaposes juicy, on-the-bone dark meat chicken with lightly caramelized apple slices, apple cider, and apple brandy. "There are apples, apple cider, and apple brandy in this recipe, so the region is well represented with the ingredients in this recipe," Morone explains.

Surprisingly, given the complexity and depth of the flavors in this dish, Morone's recipe for chicken Normandy comes together with only 15 minutes of hands-on prep and the use of a single skillet to sauté various ingredients. It's an intense 15 minutes of prep, to be sure, but by the time you're done with it, all the groundwork will have been laid for the magic that happens when you set your timer and just let the dish simmer. Let's turn to it, shall we?

To make Morone's chicken Normandy recipe, you will need four whole chicken leg quarters, two whole apples (which you'll need to peel and slice thin), 4 tablespoons of butter, ¼ cup of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, one large onion (sliced), two cloves of garlic (minced), 1 teaspoon of dry thyme, ½ cup of apple brandy, 2 cups of apple cider, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, and 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard. "If you don't have, or can't find, apple brandy you can use any kind of brandy," Morone notes. "There [are] enough other apple flavors in this recipe to make up for it, but I do still recommend using the apple brandy if you can." She also notes that, if you can't find chicken leg quarters, you can use thighs or drumsticks instead.

Set your oven to preheat to 375 F. You'll need that for later, but for now, let's focus on prepping the apples and getting them sautéed. Start by washing, patting dry, coring, and peeling the apples. Then cut them into increasingly thin wedges until you're left with thin slices as shown. Then, in a large, oven-safe skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter. As it starts to melt, add the apple slices, and sauté them until they start to brown, which should take around five minutes. Then transfer the apple slices from the pan onto a separate plate, and set aside. As for the skillet, set it back on the stove — no need to clean it at this juncture — and move onto the next step.

In a shallow plate, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper, and dredge the chicken quarters in this mixture. Grab the same skillet you used for the apple slices, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the chicken legs and sear them on medium-high heat for three to five minutes on each side, until the skin is golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. 

In the same skillet, add the sliced onions. Cook them on medium heat until they start to brown — about five minutes. Add the garlic and thyme, and cook for another minute. Add the brandy to the pan, and cook until it has been reduced by half. Then add the apple cider, bring to a boil, and allow to simmer for three minutes. 

Add the chicken back into the skillet, right on top of the onions. Then, carefully transfer the skillet into the preheated oven. Bake the chicken for 30 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven carefully using oven mitts. Now all that's left to do is to place the skillet back on top of a burner, remove the chicken quarters, and set them aside for now.

Add the apples back into the skillet and cook on high heat for five minutes, until the remaining liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the heavy cream and Dijon mustard and reduce the heat. Simmer for about five minutes, until the sauce thickens. Add the chicken back to the skillet until it is warmed, about two minutes.

To serve, spoon apples, and onions onto a plate with some sauce. Top with a chicken leg, and enjoy!