Chicken Vallée d'Auge with Apples and Cream Sauce

Chicken drumsticks are slowly braised in cider and Calvados and finished with apples and cream into a velvety sauce. A classic bistro dish from Normandy that is easy to prepare ahead.

By yumbelo · 4 servings · 75 minutes

Ingredients

• 1000 g Chicken drumsticks
• 1 tbsp Cooking oil
• 30 g Butter
• 1 pc Onion
• 2 pc Shallots
• 2 pc Tart apples
• 1 tbsp Flour
• 60 ml Calvados
• 500 ml Cider
• 200 ml Water
• 200 ml Cream
• 1 bunch Thyme
• 1 pc Bay leaf
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Pat the chicken drumsticks dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Finely dice the onion and shallots, peel and core the apples, and cut them into wedges.
2. Heat the oil in a large braising pot over medium to high heat. Sear the drumsticks skin side down for about 5 minutes, until the skin is golden brown, then turn them and briefly brown the other side. Remove from the pot.
3. Add the butter to the pot and sweat the onion and shallots over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
4. Deglaze with the Calvados and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the cider and water, add the thyme and bay leaf, and return the drumsticks to the pot skin side up.
5. Cover and braise over low heat for about 35 minutes. Add the apple wedges and cook for another 10 minutes, until the meat is tender.
6. Remove the drumsticks and apples and keep warm. Reduce the sauce over high heat for about 5 minutes, stir in the cream and bring briefly to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and pour the sauce over the chicken.