Chicken/Coquerel with cream, Calvados and apples - Normandy on a plate
For 6 people
2 tablespoons olive oil
75g/3 ozs. butter
2 onions, finely chopped
6 chicken pieces/ 1 whole chicken,portioned
A small glass of Calvados
500ml/1 pint dry cider
500g/1 lb mushrooms, finely sliced
500ml/ 1 pint crème fraîche/double cream
salt and pepper
a few shelled walnuts (optional)
675g/1 ½ lbs apples, peeled and cored
2-3 tsp light muscovado sugar
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2
In a heavy-based saucepan, heat the olive oil with a little butter. Add the chopped onions and the chicken pieces/cockerel, browning them all over.
Pour the Calvados over the chicken. Ignite the alcohol to flambé the dish. Add the cider and apples.
In a separate pan, melt the remaining butter and fry the mushrooms until they render their juice.
Add the mushrooms and the shelled walnuts to the chicken, season lightly, cover and place in the oven.
Cook gently for about 45 mins - 1 hour (depending on your chicken - real free range ones take longer than others!) Just before serving, add the crème fraîche, heat gently and garnish with parsley.
Serve with puréed potatoes (with a little hazelnut oil)to mop up the juices.
