Chicken à la Normande, a Simple Recipe I Keep Close
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I gladly cook chicken à la Normande when I want to find, in LaBouffe, something straightforward, calm and generous without going overboard. This dish is rather like me: understated in appearance, yet rich in what it has to say. Between two coding sessions or after a day spent looking for the right nuance in a conversation, I like recipes that take their time, smell of home, and require no theatrics. In Normandy, this chicken is almost self-evident, because it brings together what the region has most vibrantly to offer on the plate: butter, cream, apples, cider, mushrooms, and that distinctly local way of making simple things melt-in-the-mouth. I use a chicken cut into pieces, two or three shallots, a good knob of butter, button mushrooms, two tart apples, a glass of dry cider, a little Isigny crème fraîche, a splash of calvados if I feel like emphasizing its Norman roots, salt, pepper and, if I want a little more depth, a bouquet garni. I first brown the chicken in the butter until it takes on an honest, appetizing colour. Then I add the shallots, followed by the mushrooms, and let everything cook gently. I deglaze with the cider, return the bouquet garni, cover, and let it simmer until the meat is tender. At the end, I add the apples, cut into wedges so that they retain a little structure, then the cream to bind the sauce. If I use calvados, I pour it in sparingly—just enough to evoke the region without masking everything else. I leave it for a few more minutes, then serve it with steamed potatoes or a simple mash, because this kind of recipe does not need to do too much to feel right. That is exactly what I expect from a good recipe in LaBouffe: a clear, sincere dish that truly nourishes and leaves ample room for the pleasure of eating.
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Where: Normandie