Sautéed Chicken, Vallée d’Auge Style
A classic French chicken dish flambéed with Calvados and served with a cider and cream sauce, accompanied by apples, onions, and mushrooms.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving: Calories: 450 kcal, Fat: 28 g, Sodium: 700 mg, Carbohydrate: 15 g, Protein: 28 g
Descriptions
This dish features tender chicken pieces sautéed and flambéed with Calvados, a French apple brandy, which is then combined with a sauce made from cider, chicken stock, and cream.
The dish is garnished with caramelized apples, glazed onions, and mushrooms. It’s perfect when paired with rice or buttered pasta.
Directions
1- Prepare the Workstation (5 min):
Gather all ingredients and cooking tools needed.
2- Prepare the Chicken (30 min):
Cut the whole chicken into pieces. Prepare a white chicken stock from the carcasses if not using pre-made stock.
3- Sauté the Chicken (10 min):
- Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and a light dusting of flour.
- In a pan, melt butter until slightly browned.
- Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and sauté until lightly browned.
- Turn over and brown the other side.
- Transfer to the oven and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the wings a few minutes before the thighs.
4- Prepare the Garnish (20 min):
- Peel and blanch the small onions, then glaze them in a little butter and sugar until tender.
- Slice and cook the mushrooms in butter until tender and set aside.
- Peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/4 inch slices. Sauté them in brown butter until they caramelize slightly. Set aside and keep warm.
5- Make the Sauce (15 min):
- In the same pan used for the chicken, drain off excess fat.
- Add finely chopped shallots and a small brunoise of apple (small diced apple pieces).
- Sauté until soft, then flambé with Calvados.
- Deglaze with dry cider and reduce by two-thirds.
- Add the chicken stock and some of the mushroom cooking liquid. Reduce further, then add heavy cream and simmer until the sauce reaches a thick, coating consistency. Strain through a fine sieve and whisk in a little more butter if desired.
6- Assemble and Serve (5 min):
- Arrange the chicken pieces on a platter, wings and thighs toward the center.
- Garnish with the sautéed apples, onions, and mushrooms.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken, ensuring it is evenly coated.
Note's
- Serve with rice pilaf or buttered tagliatelle for a complete meal.
- If Calvados is unavailable, you can substitute with another apple brandy or omit it for a non-alcoholic version.
- Be sure to flambé the dish carefully by igniting the Calvados off the heat source to prevent accidents.
Ingredients
- 2 whole chickens, about 5 lbs total
- 1/2 cup flour
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup Calvados (apple brandy)
- 1/2 cup dry cider
- 2 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 10 small onions, peeled
- 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
- 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
