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This is a classic, regional, warming, hearty braise originating in Normandy, France, the region famous for its dairy produce, the creams, butters and cheeses, such as Camembert, and apples and Calvados.
Chicken and apple is a delicious, yet uncommon match. The chicken is braised with the onions, leeks and mushrooms, the apples give a light sweetness, the caramelised onions and brandy give the sauce a nice depth of flavour. The cream brings everything together into one rich Normandy-styled, beautifully balanced dish.
Calvados is an apple brandy, and the name of the department in which the Vallée d’Auge is located. It is an after-dinner liqueur and frequently used in cooking. It pairs very well with the chicken and apples in this dish. You can substitute apple cider or apple juice and brandy for it, if it is not in your liqueur cabinet; however, the Calvados does give an extra flavour zing.
Serves 6

Ingredients
40ml olive oil, more if necessary
40 grams butter, more if necessary
3 pink lady apples, cored and cut into eights
1 large onion finely sliced into half rings
2 leeks finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
6 chicken Marylands or chicken thigh steaks		 200g button mushrooms, wiped and stalks removed, finely sliced, optional
60ml Calvados
180ml apple cider
125ml Chicken stock
125g Crème fraîche or sour cream
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180℃.
Season the chicken with sea salt and pepper and bring to room temperature.
Heat 20 grams butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add apples and cook, turning occasionally, until golden, 10–12 minutes. Transfer apples to a plate and set aside.
Take a large frying pan and slowly sauté the onions for 10 minutes without colouring them; after the first 5 minutes of cooking the onion, add the leeks and continue to sauté gently.  When nearly finished, add the diced garlic and cook for a few minutes without burning the garlic.  Add the sprigs of thyme and bay leaves. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Heat a little more of the oil and butter in the pan and when sizzling, fry the chicken, in batches, until golden, about 5 minutes a side; remove and set aside.
Add some more butter and oil to the pan, and when sizzling, cook the mushrooms in small batches, until golden.  Set aside.
Deglaze the pan with some calvados and flambé.  Add the apple cider and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Place the chicken in a large stove top pot or an ovenproof casserole, add the onions, leeks, and garlic, thyme and bay leaves.  Pour over the calvados, cider and stock from the deglazing pan, just enough to almost cover the chicken.
Slowly braise in the oven or gently simmer over moderate heat on the stove top until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the juices run clear when pierced for the fork prongs, about 25 minutes.
When ready to serve, remove the chicken pieces and keep warm. Add the crème fraîche, stir and bring to the simmer and thicken a little. Remove the bay leaves and thyme and spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Serve with some green beans, tossed in the pan with some butter, sea salt and pepper.