Poulet Vallée d’Auge

The valley of Auge near Normany in north-western France is known for apples and Calvados. This recipe uses both.

It is a traditional family dish, though we think it is great for a dinner party or when you have your mother-in-law for dinner.

Difficulty

moderate

Yield

1400 g (servings 4 )

Ingredients

Weight

Volume

Procedure

Butter

14 g

1 tbsp

Heat in a large, straight-sided sauté pan over medium heat.

Apples, firm and tart (such as pink lady or braeburn); peeled, cored and quartered

375 g

3 medium

Add to pan and cook, turning occasionally, until browned in places, about 12 minutes minutes.

Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Olive oil

9 g

2 tsp

Add to pan and increase heat to medium-high.

Chicken, quartered

1600 g

1 regular

Salt

4 g

1½ tsp

Pepper

to taste

Season pieces and fry until browned all over, about 6 minutes.

Transfer to a separate plate and set aside.

Leek, white and pale green parts, halved lengthwise, cleaned and sliced crosswise 0.25" / 0.6 cm

100 g

1 small

Shallot, peeled and finely chopped

40 g

1 regular

Add to pan and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes.

Remove pan from heat.

Calvados

60 g

⅛ cup

Add to pan and ignite with a long match.

After flames die down, return pan to heat.

Apple cider

45 g

3 tbsp

Bring to boil and lower to simmer until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

Return reserved chicken to pan.

Thyme

0.8 g

1 tsp

Bay leaves

0.6 g

1 tsp

Chicken stock

60 g

¼ cup

Add to pan and bring to boil then reduce to simmer.

Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Return reserved apples to the pan.

Cover again and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes.

Remove breasts from the pan and keep warm.

Cook remaining pieces for a further 5 minutes.

Remove pieces from pan and keep warm.

Mushrooms such as crimini or button; trimmed and halved

120 g

¼ lb

Butter

30 g

2 tbsp

Salt

1.25 g

¼ tsp

Pepper

to taste

Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, sauté until browned and softened, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Crème fraîche

60 g

¼ cup

Egg, yolk

15 g

1 small

Whisk to combine.

[

Add to pan with apples and stir to combine.

]

Add mushrooms to pan and stir to combine.

Serve sauce with reserved chicken pieces.

Adapted: 2016.

Notes

(Chef notes) Strategy for modernist approach:

Brown apples and chicken pieces.

Sweat alliums.

Deglaze with calvados and flambe.

Reduce cider.

Add apples, thyme and bay leaves; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Strain sauce and vacuum seal with chicken pieces and apple peels.

Cook marylands to 74°C / 165°F for 1 hour then reduce to 60°C / 140°F and cook breast for 1 hour (can hold marylands at this temp, too).

Drain liquid and reduce slightly with strained solids for 5 minutes. Extract bay leaf.

Complete I and J.

Drink pairings

Calvados

Nutrition

Serving size 350 g; calories 406.5 kcal, kilojoules 1700.2 kJ, protein 3.8 g, carbohydrates 28.8 g, sugar 24.1 g, fat 30.5 g, saturated fat 16 g, unsaturated fat 20.8 g, trans fat 0.7 g, fiber 3.2 g, cholesterol 143.3 mg,

Type braise

Author bhsimon

Yield

Servings

Serving size 350 g

Serve	Per serve
Energy (kcal)	406.5
Energy (kJ)	1700.2
Protein (g)	3.8
Fat (g)	30.5
Carbs (g)	28.8
Sugars (g)	24.1
Fiber (g)	3.2
Sodium (mg)	232.1
Cholesterol (mg)	143.3

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