French Chicken Casserole à la Normande Recipe
This French Chicken Casserole a la Normande is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken thighs and legs cooked with bacon, aromatic shallots, celery, and thyme in a rich sauce made from brandy, chicken stock, hard apple cider, and optionally finished with cream and sautéed apples. Perfectly baked to develop deep flavors and served best with mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Chicken and Meat
- 2 lbs chicken thighs and legs (bone-in, skin-on)
- 125g (4 oz) bacon lardons (or 6 strips bacon, chopped)
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 4 shallots, diced (or 1 medium onion)
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 4-5 thyme sprigs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Liquids and Others
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp brandy or whiskey
- 2 tbsp flour
- 85 ml (1/3 cup) chicken stock
- 400 ml (1 ½ cups) hard apple cider
- 2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges
- 125 ml (½ cup) heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) to prepare for baking the casserole later.
- Brown Chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then brown the chicken thighs and legs thoroughly on all sides. Once browned, set the chicken aside.
- Cook Bacon: In the same skillet, fry the bacon lardons until they become crispy, then remove and set aside with the chicken.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add diced shallots, celery, and thyme sprigs to the skillet and sauté until softened. Then add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to release its fragrance.
- Deglaze and Thicken: Pour in the brandy or whiskey to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the flour to create a roux, then slowly whisk in the chicken stock and hard apple cider, mixing well to form a thickened sauce.
- Combine and Bake: Return the browned chicken and crispy bacon to the skillet or casserole dish, bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes covered.
- Continue Baking: After 30 minutes, uncover the casserole and bake for an additional 30 minutes uncovered, allowing the sauce to reduce and the chicken to finish cooking.
- Sauté Apples and Finish: Meanwhile, fry the apple wedges in the reserved fat until golden and softened. Stir the fried apples and heavy cream (if using) into the casserole, then cook for another 20 minutes in the oven.
- Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and serve hot accompanied by mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread for a complete meal.
Notes
- Using bone-in, skin-on chicken helps retain moisture and flavor during cooking.
- Apple cider provides a subtle sweetness and acidity characteristic of Normandy cuisine.
- Heavy cream is optional but adds richness and creaminess to the sauce.
- Make sure to brown the chicken well for better flavor development.
- Serve with starchy sides like mashed potatoes or crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
