Poulet Vallée d'Auge

Guests for dinner last week enjoyed (at least I hope they enjoyed it!) a fall, apple-based dinner.

The first course was rustic pâté from The Piggery (which we took to Boston for C. last weekend - she rated it top-notch), bier meck from Nancy at our local cheesery, huge crisp mutsus and a loaf of perfect country bread from Fat Boy Bakery.

For mains, we ate dinosaur kale in butter and salt, mashed potatoes and celery root cooked in milk and, the pièce de résistance, Poulet Vallée d'Auge with liberty apples from Slow Cooking, my birthday present cookbook from several years ago (which P. gave me to end the "no-cookbook" rule of 2005). The recipe follows below: it is easy and elegant.

Dessert was one of our current favourites: apple crisp with tart golden apples (golden crisps?) from the Farmers' Market and whipped cream.

Poulet Vallée d'Auge
(adapted from Slow Cooking by Joanne Glynn)

INGREDIENTS

3.5 lb. chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
2 dessert apples
60g (2 1/4 oz) butter
½ onion, finely chopped
1/2 celery stalk, finely chopped
10 g (1/4 oz.) flour
80ml (1/3 c.) brandy
375ml (13 fl oz) chicken stock
1/3 c. heavy cream

METHOD

1. Slice the apples into wedges. Fry over moderate heat in some butter until browned and tender. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
2. Heat more butter in the same pan, then add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook until golden. Turn over and cook for another 5 minutes. Lift the chicken out of the pan and put to one side.
3. Heat the remaining butter in the same pan, add the onion and celery, and fry over moderate heat until the onion is translucent.
4. Take the pan off the heat, sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture, and stir. Add the brandy slowly while stirring. Gradually stir in the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, return the chicken to the pan, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
5. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. Add the cream, bring to the boil and boil for 4 minutes, or until the sauce is thick enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon. Season and pour over the chicken. Serve with the apple wedges.