This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
I had quite forgotten about this recipe, Chicken Normandy, so was glad when The Lady magazine reminded me. It is a real favourite with everyone (serves 4) and the combination of apple with chicken is perfect.
Ingredients
4 rashers of bacon, coarsely chopped
4 skin-on, boneless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground pepper
35g plain flour
½ a small onion, thinly sliced
120ml dry sherry
240ml apple cider
1 crisp red apple, sliced
1 tbspn chopped fresh thyme
120ml double cream
How to prepare
Cook the bacon in a large frying pan over a medium heat until crisp, about 8 mins. Transfer to kitchen paper, reserving the rendered bacon fat in the pan. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken with flour, shaking to remove the excess. Cook the chicken in the reserved bacon fat over a medium heat until it is golden brown and nearly cooked through, about 6 mins per side. Remove the chicken from the pan; keep it warm while you prepare the sauce.
Cook the onions in the pan until they are soft and translucent, about 6 mins. Add the sherry and simmer to reduce it slightly. Add the cider and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the apples, thyme and cooked bacon to the sauce and stir to combine. Stir in the cream an add the chicken breasts with any juices that may have collected in the pan. Simmer until the chicken is fully cooked, about 5 additional minutes. Serve hot with creamy mashed potatoes and a steamed dark green vegetable such as cavolo nero.