French Chicken Casserole
A hearty French chicken casserole with tender chicken thighs, smoky bacon, and apples simmered in hard cider and cream, finished with a rich, savory sauce.
Calories:
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs chicken thighs and legs
- Salt
- 4 shallots diced (or 1 medium onion)
- 1 rib celery diced
- 4 –5 thyme sprigs
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 125 g / 4 oz bacon lardons or 6 strips bacon, chopped
- 2 tbsp brandy or whiskey
- 2 tbsp flour
- 85 ml / ⅓ cup chicken stock
- 400 ml / 1 ½ cups hard dry apple cider such as Strongbow
- 2 apples peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
- 125 ml / ½ cup double cream / heavy cream
Instructions
- Set oven to 180°C / 350°F.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with salt.
- Heat olive oil in a casserole dish over medium-high heat, brown chicken until golden, then set aside.
- Fry bacon lardons until the fat renders, then remove and set aside with chicken.
- Add shallots, celery, and 2 thyme sprigs, cook over low heat 5–7 minutes until soft, stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Pour in brandy, scrape the pan to lift browned bits, and cook until alcohol evaporates.
- Stir in flour to make a paste, slowly whisk in chicken stock, then add cider and stir until smooth.
- Return chicken, bacon, and remaining thyme sprigs to the pot and bring to a gentle boil.
- Cover and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pan-fry apple wedges in reserved chicken fat or butter until lightly caramelized.
- Stir cream into casserole and bake uncovered 20 minutes more.
- Fold in apple wedges and serve hot with potatoes or rice.