Normandy chicken: not for the foolhardy

[Recursion]

Inputs:
Deep frying pot
Casserole dish
Skillet
Apples
Bone-in, sign-on chicken thighs
Olive oil
Bacon
Celery
Shallots
Scarborough Fair herbs
Flour
Chicken stock
Hard cider
Brandy
Cream

Heat oven to 385F

Brown the chicken thighs in olive oil in the pot on a range over medium-high heat. Reserve all fat. Place chicken thighs in a casserole dish.

Fry bacon in pot over medium-high heat. Reserve all fat. Chop bacon and add to casserole dish.

Chop celery and shallots; fry in pot. Add aromatics to casserole dish, reserving all fat.

Pour off 1/2 cup of fat into skillet. Deglaze remaining fat with brandy. Into deglaze mixture, drop flour to texture and stir until a roux forms. Add chicken stock and stir until a thick broth forms. Add Scarborough Fair herbs and stir. Pour thickened sauce over chicken in casserole dish.

Pour hard cider over casserole dish until chicken is just covered. Cover dish and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, increase heat to 400, uncover dish, and cook 30 additional minutes.

In these 30 minutes, peel, core, and thin-slice apples. Fry in reserved fat over medium-high heat. Remove from heat when fully golden brown and drain.

Pour cream into casserole dish and stir; drop fried apples over chicken. Serve thighs and pour casserole sauce over them with spoon.

You will not regret it.

[emmaverybo]

1. Bookmarked. Thank you. Looks wonderful.

[hack89]

2. "Reserve all fat" - I think I have detected a theme in your reciepe. nt

[Recursion]

5. Salt, fat, acid, heat

All cooking comes down to those

[happybird]

3. Sounds fantastic!

I actually have some bone-in thighs defrosting on the counter and hadn't yet decided what to do with them. I have everything but the brandy. Wonder what (or if) anything can be subbed for the brandy? I want this for dinner!

[Recursion]

4. Sub apple cider vinegar for the brandy, or whiskey

Either works, though they both change the flavor profile. Honestly the vinegar might be better if it's as hot as it is here.

[happybird]

6. The AC vinegar won't be too much combined with the hard cider?

We have a few bottles of Sammy Smith's organic cider lurking in the fridge- glad to have a use for one since I'm moving soon. No whiskey on hand, but I do have ac vinegar.

(It downpoured earlier so now it's humid as hell here. Ugh.)

[smirkymonkey]

7. The ingredients sound pretty good, but the photo is not very appetizing.

Maybe it needs some parsley sprinkled on top or something.