Normandy chicken with cream and cider

Angela Hartnett
A French bistro favourite with a delicious sauce - No Unauthorized Use
A French bistro favourite with a delicious sauce - No Unauthorized Use

This rich and satisfying dish is good served with mashed potatoes or steamed rice.

SERVES

six

INGREDIENTS

  • 50g butter

  • Oil, for cooking

  • 6 chicken breasts, well seasoned

  • 2 medium onions, finely sliced, or 12 baby onions

  • 2 Discovery apples, halved

  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

  • Ground white pepper, to season

  • 500ml cider

  • 150ml double cream

METHOD

  1. Heat half of the butter in a large pan with a dash of oil and colour the chicken breasts on both sides.

  2. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the remaining butter to the pan.

  3. Add the onions and apples and cook for about five minutes, until the onions start to soften – but don’t let them take on colour.

  4. Add the chicken breasts back to the pan and season with a touch of nutmeg and ground white pepper.

  5. Add the cider and cook over a low heat to reduce the liquid by two thirds, cooking the chicken at the same time. This takes about 30 minutes.

  6. Add the cream and emulsify with the cider sauce. If the sauce seems too runny, remove the chicken and apples and reduce the cream over a low-medium heat.

  7. Pour the sauce over the chicken and apples and serve immediately.