Braised Chicken with Apples and Cream (Poulet Vallée d’Auge)
- Makes4 servings
- Cook Time1¼ hours
- Active time plus cooling45 minutes active
In Paris, the restaurant Le Mouton Blanc puts the spotlight on the cuisine from Normandy. During a recent visit, we learned to make poulet Vallée d’Auge, a rustic braise that marries chicken with apples, Calvados, hard cider and cream, ingredients for which the region is famous. This is our simplified version. Calvados is an aged apple brandy produced in Normandy. If it is not available, domestic apple brandy is a fine substitute, as is applejack. As for the hard cider, use one that is dry, not sweet, and do not replace it with nonalcoholic cider or apple juice, both of which are too sugary. Though a braise like this one is commonly simmered in a covered pot, we prefer to slide the Dutch oven, uncovered, into a moderately hot oven so the chicken skin retains its crispness and browning. We lightly sauté the apples after browning the chicken, but they come out of the pot and are added back only at the end so the fruit retains its bright, fresh flavor.
Don’t aim for deep browning on the chicken, apples or mushrooms. Light to medium caramelization at all stages is desirable here. The gentle flavors in the braise are easily overwhelmed by aggressive searing.
Step 1
Heat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken skin side down, in batches if needed to avoid crowding; cook, reducing the heat if needed, until light golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the pieces skin side up to a large plate. Pour off and discard the fat from the pot.
Step 2
To the now-empty pot, add 2 tablespoons butter and heat over medium until just melted. Add the apples and cook, stirring, until lightly golden and starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer the apples to another plate; set aside.
Step 3
Return the pot to medium and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add the mushrooms, shallots and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the Calvados. Return to medium-high and cook, scraping up the browned bits, until syrupy, about 2 minutes. Add the cider, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Off heat, return the chicken skin side up to the pot and add the accumulated juices. Place uncovered in the oven and cook until the thickest part of the breasts (if using) reaches 160°F or the thickest part of the thighs (if using) reaches 175°F, 20 to 25 minutes.
Step 5
Transfer the chicken to a platter. Return the pot to medium-high and stir in the apples and cream. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Off heat, taste and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce and vegetables around the chicken. Sprinkle with the parsley.
