by Judy Link, France Just For You's October guest chef (and Laura's mom)

We loved going to visit Laura and her family when they lived in Normandy. The food is amazing with all the cream, butter and cheese!

On a fall Sunday when we were visiting, after apple picking, we stopped at a charming auberge and were served a dish very similar to this one. I love making Normandy Chicken in the fall because the apples are in season and the dish warms you to the soul thanks to the Calvados (apple brandy)! It serves 4 people, and feel free to substitute the Calvados with Pommeau or even Cognac.

Guest Chef Judy and Normandy Chicken

Guest chef Judy preparing the Normandy Chicken ©Larry Link

 

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cooking apples, cored and sliced into wedges (you can peel or not)
  • Flour for dredging
  • 4 chicken breasts
  • Salt
  • 1 large onion, peeled, sliced lengthwise into wedges
  • 1/2 cup Calvados
  • 2 cups apple cider
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 cup cream

Instructions

  • Heat 2 tbsp of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the apple slices and sauté until they turn a little brown around the edges, turning occasionally. Sprinkle the apple slices with a little salt. Remove from pan and set aside on paper towels to drain.
  • Dredge the chicken in flour and place the pieces in the sauté pan. Add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter. Cook until the outside is golden and the inside is throughly cooked. Remove from pan and set aside.
  • Add the onions and increase the heat to medium-high. Spread the onion slices out in an even layer to cover the pan. As the onions cook they will release moisture that will help deglaze the pan of the browned bits from the chicken. Sauté the onions, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to brown, for about 5-8 minutes.
  • Add the Calvados to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any remaining browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Let the brandy boil until it has reduced by about half. Add the apple cider and bring to a boil. Sprinkle in the thyme. Add just a pinch of salt to the cider. Then, add the apples and when the sauce is reduced to the point where it's a little syrupy, add the cream and turn down the heat. Taste for salt and add some if needed.
  • To serve, spoon some apples and onions on the plate, top with sauce and the chicken.

 

Judy and Larry ready to enjoy the Normandy Chicken

Judy and Larry ready to enjoy the Normandy Chicken, ©Larry Link

- Enjoy Calvados, cider and beautiful scenery along the Cider Road in Normandy.

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Donna & Jim from Canada
This was our second trip arranged by France Just for You. That says a lot. What says more is we would do another trip with them without any concern. They are pros from the time the trip is planned to the very last minute of the journey. Every detail is provided through the travel book, app and communication, if needed, during the trip. We would …
Teresa & Garry
Laura and Emilie started working with us to develop a trip in July of 2020, but the trip had to be postponed because of COVID. Nonetheless they kept everything in place and made some modifications so that the trip could take place this October and November. They were always responsive and helpful with our questions and concerns. All of the …
Miller Family
Our family of 5 adults spent 17 days touring France on a trip built around the Women's World Cup Semi-finals and Final in Lyon. France Just For You did a marvelous job setting up beautiful, well managed B&B's in 5 different regions as we explored both the history and gastronomy of France. Guided tours from personable and informative guides during …
Harry
We are independent travelers, and usually I do extensive research on Tripadvisor and other websites, and plan our own itinerary. I started doing this for our France section of our trip, and came across Emilie's France Just for You website. End of research ! After an initial inquiry, Emilie totally customised our Normandy and the Loire Valley trip …
Robert
I can't say enough about how much we loved working with Emily and Laura. I am a wine geek and they put together a full day private tour of Burgundy (with a fantastic guide) and a half day visit and basket lunch at a wonderful winery in Provence. In addition there was a private half day walking tour of Paris and a private tour of the Palais des …
Mervyn
My wife and I and two friends decided we would like to visit France and by chance I found Emilie's website and initiated an online conversation with her over a year ago. We really did not know what we wanted to do, nor where we wanted to go and so our planning became a moving feast, most ably supported by Emilie. How she ever put up with our …

What are you looking for?