Chicken with leeks, apples and cider
This is my partner’s favourite dish (and the first thing I ever cooked for him) so it’s quite special to me. Perfect comfort food. Although it could just as easily come from Cornwall or Devon (because of the cider), it really takes me to Normandy.
Ingrediënten
- salt and pepper
- 8 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs or a mixture of joints
- 40 g 1½oz unsalted butter
- 700 g 1lb 9oz leeks
- 2 dessert apples
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 500 ml 18fl oz dry cider
- 6 sprigs of thyme plus leaves from 2 more sprigs to serve
- 150 ml 5fl oz double cream
- 1 tsp caster sugar
Instructies
- Season the chicken pieces and heat 25g (scant 1oz) of the butter in a large sauté pan (one which has a lid) or a wide casserole.
- Brown the chicken on both sides and then set the pieces aside while you cook the leeks.
- (Make sure not to burn the butter.
- )
- Remove the tough outer leaves from the leeks.
- Trim the bases and cut off the tough, very dark leaves at the top.
- Wash the leeks really well, making sure that you get rid of any soil that is lodged in them.
- Cut into about 3cm (1¼in) lengths.
- Add the leeks to the fat in the pan in which you cooked the chicken and sauté without browning for about 10 minutes; they should soften but not become sloppy.
- Meanwhile, peel one of the apples, halve and cut into wedges.
- Melt the remaining butter in a small frying pan and gently brown the wedges on each side.
- Leave until you need them.
- Add the flour to the leeks and turn them over in the juices.
- Continue to cook for a couple of minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and slowly add the cider, stirring all the time.
- Return to the heat, bring to the boil, then add the chicken, sprigs of thyme and the sautéed apple (don’t wash the apple pan).
- Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer, put the lid on and leave to cook over a low heat for about 35 minutes.
- The chicken should be cooked through, with no trace of pink.
- Lift the chicken pieces out of the casserole and simmer the cooking juices until reduced by about one-third.
- Add the cream, bring to the boil and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Peel and cut the other apple into wedges and put in the frying pan in which you cooked the first apple.
- Sauté gently, adding the caster sugar to help the slices caramelize nicely on the outside.
- Cook until the apple slices are tender.
- Return the chicken to the sauce and heat gently.
- At the last minute, add the newly sautéed apples, sprinkle with the thyme leaves and serve.
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