Chicken Normandy

I have a confession to make.  Before I made this recipe, I’d never cooked bone in chicken, aside from one disastrous attempt with Cornish game hens at the age of 17.  It turned out to be no more difficult than working with boneless, skinless chicken breasts (and quite a bit less expensive), so I’m glad I’ve added this skill to my cooking repertoire.

The chicken and cream sauce in this Chicken Normandy recipe was delicious.  Neither Paul nor I really enjoyed the apples in it, though; I think if I made this recipe again I’d substitute potatoes for the granny smiths.

recipe from Cook’s Country December 2010 issue
makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 split bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 3 pounds), halved crosswise
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 Granny Smith apples , peeled, cored, halved, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 2 shallots , minced
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Directions

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken skin-side down until well browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until meat registers 160 degrees, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter and tent with foil.
2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan. Cook apples and shallots until beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, add brandy. Return to heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add cream, any accumulated chicken juices, thyme , and mustard and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and apples are tender, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Pour apple mixture over chicken. Serve.