Description
Hearty French chicken casserole delivers rustic comfort straight from Provence’s countryside kitchens. Crispy skin, tender meat, and rich herbed sauce promise a delightful culinary journey you’ll savor with each comforting bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 2 pounds (907 grams) chicken thighs and legs
Cooking Fat:
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil
Seasoning:
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and thoroughly dry the chicken pieces using paper towels, ensuring optimal seasoning and browning potential.
- Select a large oven-safe casserole dish and heat olive oil over medium-high temperature. Carefully brown chicken on all surfaces until achieving a rich golden color, approximately 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a separate plate.
- Utilize the same pan to render turkey bacon lardons, cooking until crisp and releasing natural fats. Extract bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving alongside the chicken.
- Introduce shallots, celery, and thyme sprigs into the residual pan drippings. Gently sauté over low heat until vegetables soften and become translucent. Incorporate minced garlic, allowing aromatics to bloom briefly.
- Deglaze the pan with lemon, carefully scraping accumulated caramelized bits from the bottom to intensify flavor complexity.
- Dust vegetables with flour, creating a roux-like consistency. Gradually incorporate chicken stock and hard apple cider, whisking continuously to prevent luminal formations and develop a silky sauce.
- Reintroduce browned chicken and crispy bacon into the sauce, nestling additional thyme sprigs for enhanced herbal undertones. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Secure the casserole with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil. Transfer to preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover to allow sauce reduction and chicken tenderization.
- Simultaneously prepare caramelized apples using reserved chicken fat or butter. Sear apple wedges until golden and richly caramelized, developing deep flavor profiles.
- Extract casserole from oven and gently fold in heavy cream, creating a luxurious texture. Distribute caramelized apple wedges throughout the dish and return to oven uncovered for a final 20-minute flavor melding process.
Notes
- Choose bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for maximum flavor and juiciness during the slow-cooking process.
- Pat chicken completely dry before browning to achieve a perfect golden-brown crust that seals in moisture.
- Use a heavy-bottomed cast-iron or enamel casserole dish to distribute heat evenly and prevent burning.
- Substitute hard apple cider with chicken broth or white wine for different flavor profiles if needed.
- Remove thyme sprigs before serving to prevent guests from accidentally eating woody stems.
- Gluten-free option: Replace wheat flour with cornstarch or arrowroot powder for thickening the sauce.
- Low-carb variation: Skip flour and use xanthan gum or reduce sauce naturally by simmering longer.
- For dairy-free adaptation, swap heavy cream with coconut cream or cashew cream.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 440
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 40g
- Cholesterol: 120mg